OSCE supports launch of pilot youth crime prevention programme in Albania

From 3 to 5 December, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, organized a targeted training session to support the launch and implementation of a pilot youth crime prevention programme in the Kamza municipality, Albania.

The workshop featured case studies and practical exercises focused on preventing the escalation of criminal behaviour among young offenders. It laid the groundwork for the programme, during which OSCE-trained police officers and social workers from the Kamza municipality and Tirana will work together, enhancing their capacity to identify youth at risk of recruitment and involvement in crime, prioritize youth crime cases effectively and address the root causes of youth criminality. Following the successful completion of the pilot, the programme is expected to be expanded nationwide.

“Youth crime is a pressing issue that is often rooted in complex socio-economic challenges, family neglect, violence or peer influence. This pilot programme is a critical step towards building a sustainable model of youth crime prevention in Albania. By fostering inter-agency dialogue and co-operation, we can better understand and address the root causes of youth criminality, enabling effective interventions to steer young people away from crime,” emphasized Klaudia Hasanllari, Director of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Center in Albania.

The training session was delivered under the OSCE-wide multi-year extra-budgetary project “Enhancing youth crime and drug use prevention through education on legality and awareness campaigns addressing threats of organized crime and corruption” funded by Italy. Further donors supporting this project are Andorra, Finland, Germany, Norway and Poland.