Mr. President,

I would like to thank the Special Rapporteur Gamba for the briefing and her report.

Albania expresses its profound concern for the ongoing violations committed against children in armed conflict, in particular, attacks on schools and hospitals, the impediments of humanitarian access to children, and their detention for actual or alleged association with armed groups.

Albania condemns in the strongest terms the atrocities committed against children worldwide. All parties in conflict must fulfill their obligations under international law, international humanitarian law and international human rights law, to protect children and grant humanitarian access to enable support for children in conflict zones.

We echo the call of the Special Rapporteur to member states to accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to endorse and ratify the existing international child protection frameworks and agreements that have a concrete impact on improving children’s lives worldwide.

Albania remains committed to promoting and protecting children’s rights. We have adopted policies for the rehabilitation of children returning from conflict zones, by providing among other psychological support, including their education and reintegration into society. We will continue to work in this direction, to improve our policies and ensure that child rights are fully protected and respected.

To conclude, Albania would like to commend the Special Rapporteur for her work in advancing the agenda on strengthening the protection of children affected by armed conflict.

Thank you.