ALBANIAN NATIONAL YOUTH NETWORK LEADS THE EFFORTS FOR A NEW LAW ON YOUTH IN ALBANIA

Tirana, 20 October 2017 – The Albanian National Youth Network and CRCA have decided to lead efforts to draft a Youth Law in Albania by organizing today the 1^st Consultation Meeting "On a Law on Youth in Albania".

The purpose of this meeting was to promote a discussion and an open process with all the most active youth organizations in Albania, youth political forums and youth activists on the importance of drafting a Youth Law in Albania.

This meeting was organized based on one of the demands that youth addressed through the National Youth Contract and the Draft Resolution of the Albanian Assembly for Youth has been the drafting and approval of the Youth Law in Albania.This for the reason that In Albania we have a several sectorial laws such as Education Laws, Health Laws, Labor Laws, Social Protection Laws, but these laws are simply not enough and that institutionalization of public interest in the youth sector requires a special law referring to youth.

Regarding above, the Albanian National Youth Network - ANYN and the Children's Human Rights Centre in Albania - CRCA since the constitution of the Assembly and the new Government has held a series of consultative meetings with MPs, representatives of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth - MASR, civil society youth organizations and youth political forums in the preparation of a Youth Law in Albania.

During the meeting, youth civil society organizations and youth participants argued on the importance and necessity of drafting the Law on Youth in Albania. According to them, a) the Law for Youth in Albania is necessary to determine the main conditions in the field of youth, such as youth policy and youth sector, youth policy actors, youth activities, youth work, informal education of young people, and a definition of youth. b) With the approval of this law, youth issues will be more of a priority in the policy agenda, given that young people are often considered as one of the vulnerable groups, strongly influenced by transition processes, poverty and insecurity.c)Among other innovations, the Youth Laws will present the need for the establishment of the Youth Council as a government advisory body in the youth field.d)At last, systematic development of youth policies can only be achieved by providing a legal basis for funding public programs and projects in the youth sector.

This meeting was attended by young people, representatives of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, MPs, civil society organizations, representatives of youth political forums, activists and academics.

For more information, please contact: Klaudio Pulaha, Albanian National Youth Network, Cel: 067 500 20 21, E-mail: klaudio.pulaha@crca.al