Published on: 04/05/2024
Bora Muzhaqi at the UN: Albania promotes gender equality, all inclusion and access to services
The Minister of State for Youth and Children, Bora Muzhaqi heads the Albanian Delegation at the CPD 57 Conference on Population and Development that is taking place at the United Nations Organization, New York.
Minister Muzhaqi emphasized that in Albania, efforts to fulfill the goals of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), as part of the commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, are ongoing in the field of rights for equality and development of human capital. .
Further, Minister Muzhaqi gave a complete summary of Albania’s legal context regarding population and sustainable development.
“At a strategic level, Albania has a strong legal base that promotes equality, inclusiveness, access to services and a strong focus on digitization and the green agenda highlighted in the National Strategy for Development and Integration,” she underlined.
Muzhaqi continued with the presentation of part of the intensive work done over the years to fulfill the objectives of sustainable development to improve and address issues related to population development and physical, social and mental well-being, among which he mentioned: the National Strategy for Youth 2022-2029, National Strategy for Health, Agenda for Children, Strategy for Social Care, Social Inclusion, Education, Gender Equality, as well as National Action Plans for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Older People and many others.
Regarding the National Youth Strategy and its drafting, Minister Muzhaqi states that the youth policy should always include the youth as active and participating parties in the political dialogue, not only as observers. Albania’s example of co-designing youth policy has shown that the most successful reforms are created with young people for young people, focusing on the three main goals of the Strategy which include empowerment, innovation and increasing the skills of young people, and their well-being.
In her speech, Minister Muzhaqi also focused on gender equality and stereotypes, emphasizing that as we work towards EU membership, a priority of the government to offer citizens a better life, “In accordance with the EU Strategy for Gender Equality 2020-2025, Albania is addressing gender-based violence, gender stereotypes, harmful practices and inequalities in the labor market.”
During her stay in New York, Minister Muzhaqi also visited the “Primary” exhibition of the Albanian artist from Kosovo Petrit Halilaj, presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Halilaj traveled to primary schools across southeastern Europe, documenting the notes that generations of schoolchildren left on their desks and walls. Those Balkan children’s drawings formed the templates for the brilliant, sometimes whimsical bronze and steel sculptures that now grace the New York skyline.