VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTI #0088/01 0470550
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 160550Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8819
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

UNCLAS TIRANA 000088 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE; DRL/ILCSR FOR SARAH MORGAN; G/TIP FOR LUIS 
CDEBACA; DOL/ILAB FOR STROTKAMP, RIGBY AND MCCARTER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD KTIP PHUM SOCI AL
SUBJECT:  TIRANA RESPONSE FOR CHILD LABOR REPORT 
 
¶1. (U) The following is in response to reftel request. Answers are 
keyed to reftel. 
 
Tasking 1/TVPRA 
 
Albania has no record of child labor or forced labor in the 
production of goods as defined in reftel. 
 
Tasking 2/TDA 
 
PREVALENCE AND SECTORAL DISTRIBUTION OF EXPLOITIVE CHILD LABOR 
 
In what sectors (not related to the production of goods) were 
children in involved in exploitive labor (such as domestic service, 
street vending, and/or child prostitution)? 
 
Mostly, children are involved in street vending, vehicle washers, 
the service sectors, and as beggars. 
 
Posts are requested to determine if the government collected or 
published data on exploitative child labor during the period, and if 
so, whether the government would provide data set to DOL for further 
analysis. 
 
The Labor Inspectorate collects data on child labor, but only for 
the formal sector.  The GOA would likely be willing to share data 
with DOL upon request. 
 
2B) LAWS AND REGULATIONS 
 
What new laws or regulations were enacted in regard to exploitive 
child labor over the past year? If applicable, were there changes 
improvements in the legal and regulatory framework? 
 
There have been no changes for 2009 in the Penal code. 
 
Was the country/territory's legal and regulatory framework adequate 
for addressing exploitive child labor? 
 
Overall, the legal and regulatory framework is inadequate and not 
targeted at child labor. Improvements to the labor code and criminal 
code and implementation of penalties are needed. 
 
INSTITUTIONS AND MECHANISMS FOR ENFORCEMENT 
 
What agency or agencies was/were responsible for the enforcement of 
laws relating to hazardous child/forced child labor? 
 
Ministry of Labor, Child Labor Unit and General Inspectorate 
 
If multiple agencies were responsible for enforcement, were there 
mechanisms for exchanging information? 
 
N/A 
 
Did the country/territory maintain a mechanism for making complaints 
about hazardous and forced child labor violations? If so, how many 
were received in the reporting period? 
 
The Department for Children in the Ombudsman's office. However, the 
Ombudsman reported that it received no complaints in 2009 regarding 
child labor. 
 
What amount of funding was provided to agencies responsible for 
inspections? Was this amount adequate? Did inspectors have 
sufficient office facilities, transportation, fuel, and other 
necessities to carry out inspections? 
 
Funding was inadequate.  Inspectors do have offices and 
transportation. 
 
How many inspectors did the government employ? Was the number of 
inspectors adequate? 
 
Approximately 150 labor inspectors. 
 
How many inspections involving child labor were carried out? Were 
inspections carried out in sectors in which children work? Was the 
number of inspections adequate? 
 
The government of Albania did not have available statistics at this 
time concerning the number of inspections it carried out.  However 
it is widely believed that the number of inspections is inadequate. 
 
How many children were removed/assisted as a result of inspections? 
Were these children actually provided or referred for services as a 
result (as opposed to simply fired)? 
 
362 children were identified as a result of inspections according to 
data from the GOA.  199 children were sent back to school and 265 
were given school supplies to assist them. 44 children were offered 
technical type training in fields such as manicure/pedicure, cook, 
and electrician courses. Still others received medical assistance 
and psychological assistance. 
 
How many child labor cases or "prosecutions" were opened? 
 
The GOA does not have this data currently, but NGOs believe the 
answer to be zero. 
 
How many child labor cases were closed or resolved? 
 
N/A 
 
How many violations were found or "convictions" reached? 
 
N/A 
 
What is the average length of time it took to resolved child labor 
cases? 
 
N/A 
 
In cases in which violations were found, were penalties actually 
applied, either through fines paid or jail sentence served? Did such 
sentences meet penalties established in the law? 
 
N/A 
 
Did the experiences regarding questions 7 though 10 above reflect a 
commitment to combat exploitive child labor? 
 
The government does appear to have a commitment to combating child 
labor, but actual implementation of programs to do so is lacking, 
and resources and expertise are severely limited. 
 
Did government offer any training for investigators or others 
responsible for enforcement? If so, what (if any) impact have these 
trainings had? 
 
The government did offer training to MOL officials. 
 
2D) INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS FOR EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT 
 
Did the country/territory have agencies or personnel dedicated to 
enforcement of child trafficking/CSEC/use of children n illicit 
activities? How many investigators/social workers/dedicated police 
officers did the government employ to conduct investigations? If 
there were no dedicated agencies or personnel, provide an estimate 
of the number of people who were responsible for such investigation. 
Was the number of investigators adequate? 
 
Generally, there are no departments specifically for children's 
issues. The identification is made by: social administrators in 
municipalities or communes; Child Protection Units in some of the 
main municipalities such as Korca, Elbasan, Shkoder, Durres, Kukes, 
Gjirokaster, or Pogradec; police for children in some regions; and 
labor inspectors.  The Ministry of Interior maintains responsibility 
for trafficking in persons. 
 
How much funding was provided to agencies responsible for 
investigating child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit 
activities? Was the amount adequate? Did investigators have 
sufficient office facilities, transportation, fuel and other 
necessities to carry out investigations? 
 
Funding and infrastructure are inadequate. 
 
Did the country/territory maintain a hotline or other mechanism for 
reporting child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit 
activities violations? If so, how many complaints were received in 
the reporting period? 
 
The Ministry of Justice operates a Trafficking in Persons hotline. 
CRCA also operates a National Child helpline. Zero cases in the 
above categories were received. 
 
How many investigations were opened in regard to child 
trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit activities? Was the 
number adequate? 
 
Two cases were opened during 2009 involving the trafficking of 
minors. 
 
How many children were rescued as a result? 
 
2 
 
How many arrests were made or other kinds of prosecutions carried 
out? 
 
2 
 
How many cases were closed or resolved? 
 
0 
 
How many convictions? 
 
0 
 
Did sentences imposed meet standards established in the legal 
framework? 
 
N/A 
 
Were sentences imposed actually served? 
 
N/A 
 
What is the average length of time it takes to resolved cases of 
child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit activities? 
 
Varies widely upon circumstances of individual cases. 
 
Did the government offer any training for investigators or others 
responsible for enforcement of child trafficking/CSEC/use of 
children in illicit activities?  If so, what was the impact (if any) 
of these trainings? 
 
Yes. The Ministry of Interior trained officials in anti-trafficking 
awareness and identification.  These trainings helped to sensitize 
officials and improved their ability to identify potential TIP 
victims. 
 
If the country/territory experienced armed conflict during the 
reporting period or in the recent past involving the use of child 
soldiers, what actions were taken to penalize those responsible? 
Were these actions adequate or meaningful given the situation? 
 
N/A 
 
2E) GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON CHILD LABOR 
 
Did the government have a policy or plan that specifically addresses 
exploitive child labor? 
 
No. But child labor is referred to in the following action plans: 
 
National Strategy for Socio-Economic Development, 2007-2010. 
The National Strategy for Children 2005-2010. 
National Anti-Trafficking Strategy 2008-2012. 
National Strategy on Social service Delivery 2005-2009. 
National Strategy for Social Inclusion 2007-2013. 
Millennium Development Goals 
 
A multi-level approach is applied at the national, district and 
local levels. 
 
Did the country/territory incorporate exploitive child labor 
specifically as in issue to be addressed in poverty reduction, 
development, educational, or other social policies, such as Poverty 
Reduction Strategy Papers, etc? 
Yes. The National Anti-Trafficking Strategy 2008-2012 includes a 
National Strategy on Child Trafficking and Protection of the Victims 
of Trafficking. This is a comprehensive framework for relevant 
institutions, with planned activities on awareness raising, capacity 
building, cooperation in law enforcement, legislative reform, victim 
protection, return and reintegration, and prevention of trafficking 
in children. 
The National Strategy for Social Inclusion 2007-2013 includes in a 
Vulnerable Groups: Children at Risk section which deals with child 
labor and Child Labor Monitoring System (CLMS). 
The National Strategy on Youth and its National Action Plan includes 
provisions related to: the establishment of information units on 
youth employment in all cities and rural areas; the establishment of 
mobile courses especially in rural areas; the establishment of 
information units for youth on national legislation and taxes for 
SME's by the Chamber of Commerce; the establishment of more 
reintegration activities for ex-trafficked children, organization of 
more vocational training courses, summer camps, street theaters, and 
engagement of more peer educators in recreational activities with 
ex-trafficked children;  extend the area of youth recreational 
activities to all over the country through the establishment of more 
Youth Centers, especially in rural areas and within Roma and 
Egyptian communities. 
The National Strategy for Socio-Economic Development (NSSED) focuses 
on education, health and specific social programs. The Child Labor 
Monitoring System in listed as a priority. 
The National Strategy for Children (2005-2010) provides for raising 
 
awareness on child labor, setting up municipal and communal 
structures for protecting children at risk, improvement of 
legislation concerning children and coordination between central and 
local governments, NGOs and international organizations to fight 
child trafficking. 
The National Strategy for Development of Social Services (2005-2010) 
provides for an increase of the social protection of children 
including working children, and for decentralization and 
diversification of social services including development of social 
alternatives. 
The National Strategy for Employment and Vocational Training 
initiated the creation of a network of private employment agencies, 
aimed at improving the services offered by vocation training 
institutions and providing employment opportunities to marginalized 
communities, including young people. 
 
Did the government provide funding to the plans described above? 
 
Yes, in limited amounts. 
 
Did the government provide non-monetary support to child labor 
plans? 
 
Yes. Local governments assisted in the implementation of the Child 
Labor Monitoring System. 
 
Provide any additional information about the status and 
effectiveness of the government's policies or plans during the 
reporting period in regard to exploitive child labor. 
 
N/A 
 
Did the government participate in any commissions or task forces 
regarding exploitive child labor? Was the commission active and/or 
effective? 
 
Yes.  The National Steering Committee for the Program on Elimination 
of Child Labor in Albania has been in place since November 2001. It 
is chaired by the Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Equal 
Opportunities.  It is composed of representatives of different 
ministries (Labor, Education, Justice, Interior), the President's 
Office, Employers' and Workers' organizations and NGOs in order to 
give the government guidance on child labor issues. 
 
The Child Labor Unit has been set up in the Ministry of Labor, 
Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities in February 2002 to act as 
the national focal point for child labor issues and as a secretariat 
for the NSC. 
 
Did the government sign a bilateral, regional or international 
agreement to combat trafficking? 
 
The government signed a bilateral agreement with Greece in 2006. 
 
2F) SOCIAL PROGRAMS TO ELIMATE OR PREVENT CHILD LABOR 
Did the government implement any programs specifically to address 
the worst forms of child labor? 
 
The Child Labor Monitoring System (CLMS) in Albania aims to build 
upon lessons learned and to continue taking action against the 
progressive elimination of the worst forms of child labor by 
addressing the problem of CLMS on three levels: national capacity 
building on CLMS; community based CLMS, and the compilation of the 
CLMS Good Practices.  The Program seeks to establish an 
institutional framework for a pilot CLMS, to reinforce the capacity 
of the stakeholders to implement a CLMS; and to test a model of CLMS 
in the following sectors: street, agriculture, factory production, 
services, trafficking and illicit activities. 
 
Based on agreements at the district level, five CLM Local Action 
Committees have been set up in Tirana, Berat, Korca, Elbasani and 
Shkodra composed of heads of municipalities, labor inspectors, 
social welfare officers, education officers, trade unions, 
employment officers, and community police.  They aim to supervise 
and provide technical assistance to the monitoring process and make 
referral decisions based on the information presented by 
multidisciplinary teams.  Their goals are threefold: to identify 
child laborers and identify risks to which they are exposed; to 
refer them to services for rehabilitation and/or provide them with 
risk-reduction support as a temporary approach; and to track them to 
verify that they have been removed and/or that the risk has been 
eliminated and that they have access to satisfactory alternatives. 
 
As a result of this Action Program in three districts, 362 working 
children and children at risk (223 boys and 139 girls) were 
identified and referred by Action Committees. Out of these, 145 
children (103 boys and 42 girls) have been withdrawn and 217 
children (120 boys and 97 girls) have been prevented by the Action 
Program. 
 
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QQa$ t`d dotepnmElD provide funding to the programs described above? 
 
Yes: ALL 1,127,000 (USD 13,086.39) 
 
Did the government provide non-monetary support to child labor 
programs? 
 
No. 
 
Provide any additional information about the status and 
effectiveness of the government's activities during the reporting 
period in relation to the programs described above. 
 
None. 
 
If the government signed one or more bilateral, regional, or 
international agreement/s to combat trafficking, what steps did it 
take to implement such agreement/s? Did the agreement result in 
tangible improvement? 
 
N/A 
 
CONTINUAL PROGRESS 
 
The government of Albania has the commitment to fight child labor, 
however given its constraints the state of child labor remains 
similar to that in 2008.  Inspections have increased slightly, but a 
lack of funding, expertise, and organization, as well as some social 
mores, impedes efforts to combat child labor. 
 
WITHERS