TIRANA – On the occasion of the UN Day, RYCO and UN in Albania launched a joint project in Tirana on Monday. The event dedicated to youth entitled “It’s Youth Time” was organized by the UN in Albania in partnership with the Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
The United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, through the UN family in Albania, will be entering into a partnership with RYCO with $2.1m of assistance. The UN – notably UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA – will use their offices across the Western Balkans six to expand the reach and capacities of RYCO and its partners. The project will be implemented across the Western Balkans for a period of 18 months.
UN Resident Coordinator in Albania Mr Brian J. Williams reminded the guests that in September of this year, Youth2030 was launched at the General Assembly in New York, a global strategy – synchronized with Agenda 2030 – that recognizes that youth need to be more engaged now, if they are to play the constructive role we are all counting on to manage the planet.
Announcing the project, RYCO Secretary General Mr Đuro Blanuša said that the regional approach to dialogue and reconciliation is now needed more than ever in the Western Balkans. Peaceful cooperation between our societies, and especially between our youth, is of the key importance in creating new and positive perspectives for the Western Balkans and Europe, which we are part of, he underlined.
Together with UN in Albania, we want to support young people to overcome barriers and stereotypes, to bring voices of youth and make them more vocal, to fight against discrimination and hate speech and to promote tolerance, Mr Blanuša concluded.
The serious commitment of the European Union to open the negotiations for accession with Albania in June 2019 is precisely grounded on the progress and process of reforms for the future Albania, and it will be a great impetus for further thorough and sustainable reforms, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania Mr Ditmir Bushati said and underlined that the ones that will accomplish the complete coronation of this project will be the today’s 20-25 year olds, who will serve as the future leaders.
