The director of the Center Against Violent Extremism, (CVE) Denion Meidani, and the representative of UNICEF in Albania, Roberto De Bernardi, conducted a visit to the “One Stop Center” in Fier, which is part of the structure of the Fier Hospital and offers an important range of services for minors. This visit comes as a result of the institution’s commitment to the protection of children’s rights and efforts to combat the phenomenon of violent extremism in society.

The center in Fier has an important role in providing first aid and emergency care for children. It also provides crisis support, specialist medical and psychological counselling, safe transport and referral to strategic partners, such as PMF (Child Protection Police), for case management. In cooperation with local structures, the Center interacts with the Prosecutor’s Office and the Courts to handle cases of abuse and violence against minors in full compliance with the law.

Another important aspect of the visit was the inspection of the Child Friendly Interview Unit at the Local Police Directorate of Gjirokastra. This unit serves as a convenient and safe environment to interview children who are in conflict with the law or are victims and witnesses of crimes.

During the visit to the Child Interview Unit at the Gjirokastra Police, the Director of CVE, Meidani, and the representative of UNICEF, were received by the Director of the Local Directorate of the Gjirokastra Police, Ardian Çipa. Mr. Meidani emphasized the importance of these environments for the protection of children and the fight against violent extremism. He expressed his satisfaction for the stable partnership with UNICEF and the donors who support these important projects, as well as especially the excellent cooperation offered by DVP Gjirokastër and praised the results that the Child Interview Unit in this district has given, being an example of success for implementation in other counties.

The Local Director of Police welcomed the meeting and emphasized that the facilities for interviewing minors and the infrastructure for this purpose as a whole, for the Gjirokastër district as a border district of an EU country such as Greece, represents a particularly important interest. This is because with the flow of illegal immigrants, minors from countries in conflict, etc., they can also be misused for trafficking or for the purpose of undermining the security of the destination countries, which can also be those of the EU. The complete infrastructure for interviewing them, which is complete, helps to deepen the investigations while respecting at the same time all the rights and obligations that arise.

Meanwhile, the representative of UNICEF, De Bernardi, appreciated the commitment of the centers and raised their work based on the best international practices and standards of children’s rights. Also, he thanked Mr. Meidani and Mr. Çipa praised CVE, PSH and the Ministry of Interior as important partners in the common mission of child protection.

“These centers are having a profound impact on the treatment of cases of abuse and violence against children, providing the necessary care and support to those who have suffered trauma. It is time for all of us to commit to guaranteeing a bright future for our children and building a society where they are safe and protected under any circumstances”, stated at the end of the visit Mr. Meidani.