An important initiative on improving the law for the Status of the Orphan

On the occasion of Orphans National Day, at 20th of May 2018, was held a plenary session where were invited: Association National Albanian Orphans, Mr. Alfred Muharemi as representative of target group of orphans, LIBURNETIK Organization, National Youth Congress and other representatives of civil society.

During this meeting, after stressing the importance of the role of the Central and Local Governments in protecting the rights of the Orphans, some amendments to the Orphan law were proposed.From the raised proposals a debate took place which evidenced a lot of unaddressed problems of this law, blank spaces and unable possibilities to implement it. Those problems were re-addressed during consulting process the meeting at 3rd July 2018 of Commission for Work, Social Cases and Health, leaded at the time from Ms. Elisa Spiropali, which after a long consult with invited stakeholders and interest groups, pledged to follow closely and with priority the addressing of the issues raised.

In this phase, based on the raised proposals and the priority of the case was noticed that this law does not fill the needs of this target group and that has a lot shortages in many of its items. Given these observations and bearing in mind that the existence of legislation in this target group affects children and young people, LIBURNETIK consulted with its partners, the Association “Our Future” and the National Youth Congress and decided to set up a working group, to work on a draft law to improve the legal framework for the Orphan Status.

The set up working group for this purpose consisted in 2 layers and 4 jurists, part of LiburnLaw – LIBURNETIK Organization legal department, “Our Future” association and National Youth Congress network. After a intensive work of 8 months, the working group was able to compile a draft-law for the orphan status, through filling and improving the existing law no. 8153, date 31.10.1996 “For the Orphan Status” and through bringing some elements of European Union and United States legislation.

After a request for meeting at 12th March 2019 from the working group represented from Z. Alfred Muharemi, Znj. Dafina Peci dhe Z. Ergys Gezka, was held a meeting withMs. Elisa Spiropali Minister of State for Relations with Parliament, which, in addition to its previous duties, but also as a Minister, expressed its readiness to support this initiative and to move it to its finalization with the approval of Parliament.

This meeting was the first on the agenda of many meetings planned to advance this initiative.