Albania Government admits the failure

October 3, 2008

Comment: The article releases information on the Conference organized by BKTF Coalition in Albania for launching the Report on Situation Analysis on Child Trafficking, on 2nd of October 2008. The Conference was organized with the special support of the US Ambassador, Mr. Withers in Tirana. The Prime Minister of Albania was also present with other high ranked state officials and addressed the Conference. The Report launched at the Conference by BKTF’ representatives underlines the causes, roots, actions taken by the government and civil society for the identification and protection of children victims of trafficking and presumed victims of trafficking, meanwhile providing concrete recommendations for the improvement of the fight against child trafficking.

The article reflects most of the key statements of the Conference through writing in a critical way on the state failure in identification and protection of children victims of trafficking, presumed victims and children at risk of trafficking. Apart from political statements of the Prime Ministers admitting the failure in child trafficking issues,the article gives general information on how trafficking takes place, and the means used by traffickers in recruiting children for exploiting them further, including most of the exploitation forms. It is important that the journalist stresses the fact that Roma and Egyptian children are the most vulnerable to trafficking; and the reasons why children from those minorities are the targets for the traffickers. Nevertheless, it seems that in the focus of this article is the US ambassador “pulling the ear” to the Albanian Prime Minister instead of the civil society/BKTF which has launched the report and has been working for several years on the advocating for the protection of trafficked children and their rights.

(This Press review is under the framework of EIDHR funded project, implemented jointly with the Legal Clinic for Minors, Albania)