In collaboration with  the Association of the Algerian Muslim Scouts,  the MENA CPI organized   a workshop,   on the 23^rd and 24^th July,  2007,   on  the status quo of children in the city of Algiers,   and the institutions in charge of the welfare of children in Algiers.  The workshop was marked by the great scale participation of all sectors  concerned with children’s issues in Algeria, beginning with  representatives of the Delegated Ministry to the Ministry of Health,  Population,  and Hospital Reform,  in Charge of the Family and Woman’s status quo,   the Department in charge of children at the  Ministry of Interior,  and  the National Popular Assembly,  in addition to a number of organizations of Algerian civil society,  the UNICEF,    the United Nations Development Programme,   the United Nations Population Fund,   as well as a great number of media reporters and representatives of Algerian Muslim Scouts.  The opening ceremony was honoured by the presence of His Excellency the President of the National Popular Assembly. 

The workshop was inaugurated by a speech made by the General Director of Algerian Muslim Scouts, Mr. Noureddine Ben Brahim,  who welcomed all participants and conveyed his thanks to the CPI for its efforts and interests in children across the MENA region.  Mr ben Brahim also presented an overview of the contributions of  Algerian  Muslim Scouts  to  the protection  and development of  children and youth,  as well as  its collaboration with various government apparatuses,  civil society and international organizations concerned with the development of Algeria.   Dr. Gamal Mahmoud Hamid,  CPI Director,  made a speech through which he presented the broad outlines of the CPI and AUDI,   their long  sustained efforts in enhancing children’s rights in different Arab cities,  as well as the objectives and future strategies  of the CPI and AUDI.   The workshop sessions were inaugurated by a paper presented by a representative of the Delegated Ministry to the Ministry of Health,  Population and Hospital Reform,  in Charge of the Family and Woman’s Status Quo,  in which he overviewed the Ministry’s experience in  the protection of children and in planning a national strategy for childhood in Algeria.  This was followed by  an   intervention  by the  CPI Programme Officer,   Dr. Yaser Awad Al-Karim,  on the results of CPI conducted studies on the status quo of children in the MENA region.  Dr. Yaser Al –Karim ‘s intervention opened  a discussion session.  The closing session of the first day of the workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Abdennasser  Djabi,  Professor and researcher at  Algiers University,  who  presented a paper in response to a CPI request,  on the status quo of children in Algiers,  in which he highlighted the results of the conducted study,  its  challenges  and recommendations.   This was followed by a discussion session during which proposals were made for updating and supporting  a survey of the status quo of children  in Algiers.

The second day of the workshop was inaugurated by   a paper presented by Dr. Osman ElHassan Mohd. Nour,  CPI Consultant,  on violence and the neglect of children in the cities of the MENA region.  This was followed by an intervention by Professor Nadia Ait Zay,  Director of the Centre of Information and Documentation on Women’s and Children’s Rights ( the CIDDEF) in which she overviewed the centre’s experience.  In a similar vein,  Professor Abderrahmance Ar’ar,  Coordinator of the Algerian Network for the Defence of Children’s Rights also  outlined the network’s experience.  This session  was concluded by a discussion session during which proposals were made  on undertaking a study on children’s status quo in Algiers.    The discussions were well  focused  and the proposals constructive and apt to enhance further studies.