Information about Fier region
- Facts from the history of Fier Region
- Address of the Council of Fier Region
- A summary about the situation of children rights in the Region
- Local strategy developed about child protection
- Address of the Observatory for Children's Rights, Fier
- Role and responsibilities of the Observatory for Children's Rights, Fier
- Address of the Children Rights Unit (CRU)
- Role and responsibilities of CRU of Fier
- Role and responsibilities of CPU Fier
1. Facts from the history of Fier Region
The Fier Region consists of 3 Districts: Fier, Lushnjë and Mallkasatër. It includes 6 municipalities and 36 communes in its administrative structure.
Fier District consists of 3 municipalities (Fier, Roskovec and Patos Municipalities) and 14 Communes.
Lushnjë District consists of 2 municipalitites (Lushnje and Divjakë Municipalities) and 14 Communes.
Mallakastër District consists of 1 Municipality (Ballsh Municipality) and 8 Communes.
Cicero called Fier "large and stately city", due to its economic and cultural importance and because of its large dimension.
Historic facts: The first population census was done in 1923 when Fier was under Berat prefecture. Fieri consisted of 2 Districts (regions): Fier District with 71 villages, 2193 houses and 12.760 inhabitants, Seman District (Seman Region) with 22 villages, 305 houses and 1940 inhabitants. The city of Fierit had 5 neighborhoods and 1493 inhabitants. During the early twentieth century and up to the years of World War II, many demographic changes occurred in Fier, which intensified even more during the '90s. A large number of the inhabitants emigrated toward foreign countries and to the Albanian capital and at the same time many citizens from other areas such as the Districts of Mallakaster, Tepelena, Berat, Elbasan, Gjirokastra and northern and northeastern areas of Albania moved to Fier.
In 2010, according to the office of the General Directorate of Civil Registration in Tirana (Interior Ministry), the number of children aged 0-18 years old is 135.330, constituting 27,8% of the population. The total population in 2010 was 487,621 inhabitants. According to the same source the number of households in 2010 was 137,511. Moreover the number of households with children aged 0-18 years old who benefit from social aid scheme (SA) is 3,542 households.
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2. Address of the Council of Fier Region
Lagja “Kastriot”
Brigada e XI-të sulmuese
Fier- Shqipëri
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3. A summary about the situation of children rights in the Region
The percentage of households that rely on Economic Aid (EA) and have children, aged 0-18 years old in the Fier Region, is high level in the following municipalities: Ngraçan Mallakastër 22.84%, Selita Mallakastër 20.93%, Ruzhdie Fier 12.05%, Mallakastër Centre 10.79% – as compared with the other Communes of the Region. While Communes, which have the lowest percentage of households that rely on EA and have children, aged 0-18 years old, in the Fier Region are: Levan Fier 0.02%, Tërbuf Lushnje 0.04%, Cakran Fier 0.10% and Fier Libofsha 0.23%. At the regional level there are 6 Communes which are not included in the social aid scheme, even though they may include poor families who need help. Strictly speaking there are two Communes in Fier (Topojë and Mbrostar), and 4 Communes in the Lushnje District (Grabian, Fiershegan, Thunder and Allkaj), which are not included in the economic aid scheme.
During 2010, in the Fier Region, there are 2442 children aged 0-18 years old with disabilities (CWD), or 1.8% of children in the Regional level. The highest number of children with disabilities is reached in the Patos Municipality with 212 CWD and in the Levan Commune with 120 CWD.
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4. Local strategy developed about child protection
The Fier Region uses the National Strategy to protect the children's rights instead of the District Strategy.
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5. Address of the Observatory for Children's Rights, Fier:
Lagja”Kastriot”
Rruga: Brigada e XI-të sulmuese
Bashkia Fier- Shqipëri
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6. Role and responsibilities of the Observatory for Children's Rights, Fier:
- Observatory Fier establishes institutional relationship and cooperation with all the representatives of public and private institutions at the regional level. A total of 55 cooperation agreements have been signed.
- The participation and contribution of the Observatory Fieri in "Committee for Need’s Assessment and Planning of Services” of the Region Council - Fier.
- Technical support of Fier Observatory for the operation of the "Unit of Children's Rights" in the Directorate of Social Care Services of the District Council - Fier.
- Fier Observatory periodically collects data from health, education, social protection institutions, from child protection office and from NGOs at the local and regional level.
- Observatory Fier prepares an annual report on the progress of policy implementation and the indicators for the realization of child rights in the respective regions. So far the report the financial aid and disability services for 2010 have been prepared.
- Fier Observatory periodically collects reports and materials produced by various agencies locally and internationally.
- The administrative tasks for the Observatory functioning are performed in the office of Fier Observatory.
- Fier Observatory supports the work of groups, consultants and different actors at the local and regional level to guide and assist in developing regional policies and strategies in accordance with the rights of children, by organizing meetings and meetings with various interest groups.
- Fier Observatory maintains and regularly up-dates the database system through the "Dev Info" Program.
- Observatory Fier actively participates in all activities organized at local and regional levels which deal with children's rights.
- Fier Observatory organizes and conducts observations, surveys, interviews with various focus groups (children, parents, communities, teachers, school directors, officials, local experts and different professionals), to draw conclusions regarding the implementation of child rights.
- Fier Observatory collaborates closely with the offices of the Alliance for Children in Albania and organizes various activities focusing on "Children's rights.
- Fier Observatory collects and archives the cases / events / facts, which illustrate the implementation or not of the rights of children.
- Organizes trainings for the personnel in charge of children’s rights and their protection, together with the Directorate of Social Care Services of the Region Council - Fier.
- Observatory Fier supports the assessment of needs and the drafting of the Action Plan for the rights and the protection of the child.
- Fier Observatory supports the drafting of materials that promote activities designed to protect children's rights in the region (leaflets / informative newsletter, etc).
- The Alliance for Children / Observatory Fier of DSHPSH of KQ-Fier send four-months reports as well as draft and publish annual reports at the Regional level.
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7. Address of the Children Rights Unit (CRU)
Lagja “Kastriot”
Brigada e XI-të sulmuese
Këshilli i Qarkut Fier
Fier- Shqipëri
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8. Role and responsibilities of CRU of Fier
The Unit for Protection of the Rights of the Child (CPU) was established in 2008 in the Municipality of Fier in order to protect the rights of children, in 2012 these Units were also set up in the Communes of Dërmenas and Levan. Moreover in 2012 the Unit for the Rights of the Child (URC) was established in the Fier Region.
The Unit for the Rights of the Child (CRU) in the Fier Region Council is established within the structure of the Region Council in 2012.
Its duties are:
- to monitor and evaluate the implementation of laws and policies for the protection of children in territory of Fier Region;
- to identify and coordinate the referral of violations of child rights cases in the territory of the of Fier Region;
- to coordinate the operation of multi-disciplinary team for the identification, analysis and referral cases of domestic violence;
- to cooperate and share information on treatment of children's rights with every responsible structure in the fields of health, education, police, local government or civil society;
- to organize informative, educational and training meetings, for children's rights at the regional scale;
- to report to the Fier Region Council on the progress of the implementation of child rights in the territory of the Region;
- to report periodically to the State Agency for Protection of Child Rights statistical data and information on implementation of child rights in the territory of the region.
9. Role and responsibilities of CPU Fier:
Child Protection Office or (CPU) in the Municipality of Fier is established within the administrative structure of social services of Fier Municipality in 2008 as a project of Terre des Hommes and UNICEF.
Its duties are:
- To assess and monitor continuously the situation of children in danger until they are not in danger anymore;
- To identify and coordinate in a multi-disciplinary way the protection, the referral and the analysis of cases in the territory of the Fier Municipality;
- To inform the community, to organize informative educational and training meetings, for the child protection in the territory of the Fier Municipality;
- To cooperate with social service administrators, school psychologists, family doctors, the authorities of public order, social workers of public and private centers for the improvement of child protection;
- To serve as reference or information center for other supportive services.
- To refer different cases;
- To periodically report to the State Agency for Protection of Child Rights statistical data and periodical information on the situation of child protection in the territory of the Municipality.
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Prepared by: Eridjona KICA
Expert, Observatory for Children's Rights, Fier