The government withdraws the Youth draft- Law!

Tirana, July 8, 2019 – The Parliamentary Commission on Education during today's hearing session with civil society and the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth decided to return for changes and amemdaments the Draft- Youth Law in order to improve its disputed content that in the view of three major networks and CSOs (ANYN, ACE and CRCA/ECPAT Albania) violated the Constitution of Albania and international human rights norms.

The Albanian National Youth Network-ANYN, CRCA/ECPAT Albania and the Albanian Coalition for Education-ACE, for the last 2 weeks have been asking the Parliament and the Government to withdraw the draft-law from parlimentary discussions as an opportunity to create space and time for the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, to sit together with civil society and review the current draft.

Today the MPs of the Parliamentary Commission of Education, of all political sides, together with the experts of the Ministry, decided to withdraw the dratf-law for reconsideration. As noted by experts of ANYN, CRCA/ECPAT Albania and ACE, the draft- law flagrantly violated the Constitution of Albania. Specifically, articles 4, 9,10,11,13 of the draft violated freedom of expression and organisation, equality before the law, equal enjoyment of rights, etc.

This morning, the members of the Commission on Education, heard and welcomed all the concerns and demands made by the representatives of ANYN, CRCA/ECPAT Albania and ACE and after deliberations deciding to withdrow the draft and to take it into considerations back in September this year, once all the amendaments have been discussed and included in the new draft.

"Today, parliamentarianism and Albanian youth won" said representatives of the CRCA/ECPAT Albania, ANYN and ACE - "We are grateful to all the MPs that decided to take the right steps and defend the interests of our youth."

It is more than ten years ago that civil society organizations and youth across Albania formulated their request for a Law on Youth. For more than two years, CRCA/ECPAT Albania and ANYN have been working intensively to give young people in Albania a qualitative and inclusive law based on the highest European standards for all young people.

For more information, please contact:

CRCA/ECPAT Albania, E-mail: info@crca.al

ANYN, E-mail: info@anyn.al

ACE Albania, E-mail: info@acce.al