Kosovo Task Force to prevent abuse and protect children from exploitation

30 Jan 2009 |

Pristine, Kosovo: From 22 to 27 of January, several workshops were organized in order to create of Task Force in the frame of PJDK – Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency and TACT – Transnational Action Against Child Trafficking in the four main cities of Kosovo: Mitrovica, Peja, Prizren, Gjilan. The "Task Force" is a round table created as a coordination tool for child protection. Concrete cases will be referred from members of the Task Force with the purpose of protection and facilitating the re-integration of children identified with asocial behaviors and those that are forced to work, abused children, beggars, and to provide them with necessary protection services. The goal of the case management by the task force is to facilitate child reintegration into the society and at the same time to minimize offences. Task Force has been created in these main cities, with its main actors from Center for Social Work, Regional Education Department, Community Police Unit, Probation Service, and Representatives from Terre des hommes. Also several other Tdh partners participated such as the NGOs “One to One”, “Avsi”, Roma Woman for Roma Women and RAE NGO “Inicativa 6”.

Whereas on February 2, 2009, another workshop was held in Pristine to inform the central authorities that the Task Forces have been created at the local level in the main cities of Kosovo – Mitrovica, Peja, Prizren, and Gjilan. The creation of the regional Task Forces has been very well supported by the Central Level authorities. The participants included representatives from Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Directors of Centers for Social Works, Municipality Directorate for Health and Welfare, Probation Service. As well as the representative of domestic violence sector at EULEX. [ZD]