The Council of Europe HELP online course on Child friendly Justice, was launched online for a group of legal professionals from Albania in co-operation with the Albanian Bar Association.

During the launching event, organised with the support of the joint EU and Council of Europe ‘HELP in the Western Balkans’ action, , the participants were welcomed by Jutta GUTZKOW, Head of Council of Europe Office in Tirana, Ana MEDARSKA LAZOVA, Deputy Head of the Justice and Human Rights Training Division, and Rezarta ABDIU, representative of the Albanian Bar Association.

After highlighting the excellent co-operation between the Justice and Human Rights Training Division of the Council of Europe and the Albanian Bar Association, Jasminka PERUNIČIĆ ALLEN, Senior Project Officer, shared an overview of the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) Programme of the Council of Europe and its online platform that includes a catalogue of 40 courses on human rights, including the specific course on ‘Child friendly Justice’ contextualised for legal professionals from Albania. Katrin UERPMANN, Secretary of the Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF), Council of Europe, presented in short the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of Child (2022-2027) and the child friendly justice as a priority area. Finally, Rezarta Abdiu, tutor of the course, shared with the participants the objectives of the course and the context in which it takes place.

The Council of Europe HELP course on Child friendly justice has been developed by the European Program for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals “HELP” of the Council of Europe in close cooperation with the CoE Children’s Rights Division, the staff of the CoE Special Representative on Migration and Refugees and the UNHCR.

This event was organised in the framework of the action ‘HELP in the Western Balkans action’, part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”.