Photo Credit: Paul Cohn   Government and civil society representative each received a “Toolkit of Good Practices to Counter Human Trafficking,” in order to carry out future programming.

USAID Sees Renewed Opportunity for Albania to Eliminate Trafficking in Humans

TIRANA, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009  Today the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) program, The Albanian Initiative: Coordinated Action Against Human Trafficking (CAAHT), convened its fifth and final national conference. The purpose of the conference was to review what the CAAHT program and partners achieved together over the life of this six-year, $7.5 million USAID anti-trafficking program.  Albanian Minister of State for Reforms and Parliamentary Relations, Mr. Genc Pollo, and USAID/Albania’s Mission Director, Roberta Mahoney delivered opening remarks.  

In her remarks Mahoney emphasized the progress that has been made over the years and encouraged partners to re-double their efforts in the coming months and years to eliminate trafficking in persons in Albania. 

“Integration into the European Union, visa-free travel, improved foreign investment, all of these priorities are within Albania’s reach,” said Mahoney.  “But they cannot be achieved without the continued, concerted efforts by the Government and civil society to combat these serious crimes.” 

Hundreds of representatives from both government and civil society attended the day-long event. They came from all twelve qarqe of the country and represented many sectors, including law enforcement, social services, education, health, prosecutors, Prefecture Regional Committees in the Fight Against Human Trafficking, and civil society. In addition to being recognized with Certificates of Participation, each person received a “Toolkit of Good Practices to Counter Human Trafficking.”

A 25-minute video presented the key success achieved by the CAAHT program with its government and civil society partners. It highlighted that through the USAID CAAHT program:

• Over 740 victims of trafficking received assistance and re-integration services;
• More than 2,800 vulnerable women and children received prevention services;
• Over 59,800 people participated in awareness raising activities;
• Almost 400 government and 500 civil society representatives cooperated in CAAHT coordination;
• Over 2,100 government and 210 civil society actors were trained in anti-trafficking and management skills.

The bilingual video, as well as seven video postcards about the work of local CAAHT NPO partners, may be viewed on the internet at www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B1714AE6352FBE00.