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Information about Korça region

  1. Facts from the history of Korça Region
  2. Address of the Council of Korça Region
  3. Descriptive paragraph about the situation of children in the Korça Region
  4. Regional Strategy for Children's Rights
  5. A5. Address of the Observatory for Children's Rights
  6. Observatory role and responsibilities
  7. Role and responsibilities of CRU
  8. Role and responsibilities of CPU

1. Facts from the history of Korça Region

Korça Region is one of 12 regions of Albania with a surface of 3,711 km ². Korça region includes the districts of Devoll, Kolonja, Korca and Pogradec. The center of Korça region is located in the city of Korça. Its border to the Northeast and East with Macedonia, with Greece to the South, with region of Gjirokastra to the South-West, with Berat region to the West and with the region of Elbasan to the North-West. Korça district has a population of 352,088 inhabitants.

Korça is one of the most important cultural centers of Albania. There are numerous museums in the city which describe the cultural activity for centuries. It is well known that the first Albanian school was opened in this city on year 1887. Moreover Albania's first school for girls was in Korça, as well as the French Lyceum was built here in 1917. Although over the years the city has been invaded several times, foreign influences constitute a small part of the Korça's culture.

Korça economy has as basics the agricultural development, but there are also other major businesses in the city which mainly include civil construction sector and the production of construction materials, food sector and services. Although Korça offers good opportunities for the development of tourism, there is still much to be done in this regard. The economic performance of the city currently is increasing constantly although the economic stability should be ensured according to EU standards.

There are two important points often frequented by tourists in this city, villages of Voskopoja and Dardha. Besides the mountain climate, with dense pine forests, and the presence of an impressive landscape, tourists can find a part of the history and heritage of the Albanian people from the period of Byzantine rule. In Voskopoja there are a considerable number of orthodox churches and monasteries belonging to this period. During the winter, these two tourist villages offer winter ski attractions.

2. Address of the Council of Korça Region

Këshilli i Qarkut Korçë, Lagjia 3, Bulevard “Republika”, Korçë

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3. Descriptive paragraph about the situation of children in the Korça Region

Socio-economic changes that have occurred in the last decade have been accompanied by new social problems, which have consequences leading to social costs for vulnerable individuals, their families and communities.
The society faces violence, mental health problems, increased crime, drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution, human trafficking, exploitation of children and their involvement in the worst forms of labor. The number of children aged 0-18 years old, in Korça region is 82,428.

There is a considerable number of children living in difficult conditions. Poverty and limited access to social services has a direct impact on the low standard of living of disadvantaged social groups, denying them the right to live with dignity and to look after them. Korça district has a significant number of children from marginalized communities and this is why the social problems are more intense. These communities occupy about 1/3 of the population. Begging, exploitation, the work in black and school dropouts remain some of the biggest problems, especially for the Municipality of Korça.

The NGOs operating that protect children in the region of Korça are:

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4. Regional Strategy for Children's Rights

In Korça region there is no regional strategy for children, there is only a strategy designed in 2005 for Korça region.

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5. Address of the Observatory for Children's Rights, Korça:

Observatori për të Drejtat e Fëmijëve, Lagjia 5,
Rruga “28 Nëntori”, Korçë

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6. Observatory role and responsibilities:

Observatory for the Rights of the Children is a civil society structure raised in the region of Korca in 2009, which aims to collect information from all state and local institutions and to study the situation of the realization of children's rights at the regional and national levels.

Main duties of the Observatory:

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7. Role and responsibilities of CRU

Child Protection office or (CPU) in Korca Municipality is set up within the administrative structure of the social services of the Municipality of Korça in 2006 as a pilot project funded by UNICEF with the support of terre des Hommes. In 2009 with the support of UNICEF it was re-incorporated into the Child Protection Unit. This is because during the fieldwork role family has resulted very important and children education can not be treated separately from the family. A part of children's problems stem from family instability and violence that is generated by the family as a result of poverty and lack of resources to maintain the family. Its main duties are:

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8. Role and responsibilities of CPU:

The Child Protection Unit (CPU) is not established yet in the region of Korça.

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Prepared by: Marjana Jorgji,
Korça Observatory Expert