SIC+ programme: Albania - CRCA/ECPAT Albania

CRCA/ECPAT Albania works to promote the respect of child and youth rights, to protect them from violence and exploitation, to increase child and youth participation, through advocacy, policy and legislation improvement; capacity building, information and research, and establishment of good models of services of child care and protection. Since 2015 it has run ISIGURT.AL, the National Hotline for Internet Safety.

The purpose of ISIGURT.AL is to coordinate efforts to protect children and youth victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation, to identify and remove CSAM (child sexual abuse material), to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation, while informing policy-makers, parents, teachers, children and so on, on safer internet risks.

ISIGURT.AL runs an annual campaign on Safer Internet Day (SID), which includes also the publication of the Annual Report on Internet Safety in Albania. Apart from this major event, ISIGURT - together with CRCA/ECPAT Albania - run specific campaigns every quarter related to issues such as online sexual abuse, online bullying, hate speech, and where to report when faced with an online threat or a crime.

The ALO 116-111 Albania helpline aims to support children over the phone and refer their needs to relevant institutions. The helpline is free of charge and available 24/7 to children or anyone calling in on their behalf. The main purpose of the helpline is to protect the rights of children when they are in a dangerous situation, and to provide an appropriate approach to guarantee all children more services within an effective and preventive protection system.

ISIGURT.AL, apart from its day-to-day activities to detect and remove CSAM (child sexual abuse material) and other inappropriate materials, also publishes an Annual Report on Internet Safety in Albania. ISIGURT, together with CRCA/ECPAT Albania, run specific campaigns in schools and online on issues such as online sexual abuse, online bullying, hate speech and where to report when faced with an online threat or a crime.

Since 2012, a Youth Parliament, which represents the interests of adolescents and youth in Albania, has been in charge of all the child and youth policies in our work. Children and youth come together to draft reports on the situation of their rights, including internet safety, while sharing their expectations with policy-makers such as members of the Parliament, government, and so on. Youth Champions for Safer Internet it's one of our main priorities and initiatives.