Uniting for the children…
— govt pleased with UNICEF’s support in child protection measures
DPI Guyana, Wednesday, July 31, 2019
The government is pleased with the support it is receiving from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as it endeavours to protect and nurture the nation’s children.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Dr. Karen Cummings made these remarks on during a mid-year review of the 2019 joint annual work plan of UNICEF and Guyana hosted at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston Georgetown.
According to Minister Cummings, the event allows UNICEF and Guyana to review critical achievements and challenges encountered during the execution of its joint programme for 2019. It also provides a forum to charter the course forward in its corporation towards issues vital to children.
UNICEF has actively supported and partnered with the government on several initiatives aimed at the care, protection and wellbeing of our children. The collaboration has been advanced within the context of UNICEF’s country’s programme 2019-2021. This programme is designed to support Guyana in achieving its development goals for children and adolescent through legislation and services in alignment with the 2030-Sustainable Development Goals and the no children left behind the policy.
So far, for the year, UNICEF has engaged in strategic partnerships with various sectors [Government and NGO’s] to further the realisation of rights of children in Guyana.
These strategic partnerships have generated fruitful results, some of which include; the draft of the National Education Strategic Plan, Evaluation of Nursery Education programme, the Guyana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, National Plan of Action for Adolescent Pregnancy, the drafting of the National Plans of Action on Child Labour and Alternative Care for Children, the development of the Masters and Clinical Psychology at the University of Guyana and expansion of access services for child survivors of sexual.
According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, the Guyana-UNICEF partnership is relevant and complements Guyana’s national development focus to effectively address issues affecting the most vulnerable boys and girls.
“The Government of Guyana is pleased with the achievements thus far for 2019 and remains committed to the protection and the provision of a good life for all Guyanese. More specifically, to our children, the future generation which the government endeavours to protect and nurture through the implementation and policies and programme to safeguard their future and the future of Guyana.”
UNICEF’s Child Protection Specialist, Patricia Gittens commended Guyana for its steadfastness to ensure child rights is at the forefront of the country’s development agenda.
This year marks the third year of UNICEF’s five-year programme of cooperation in Guyana. In the past three years, the government and UNICEF worked along in the components of lifelong learning; safety and justice; monitoring and evaluation; adolescent development; and emergency among other areas.
At the day’s session, stakeholders were also able to discuss the challenges and successes for 2019, and address possible changes moving forward. UNICEF signed its first five-year programme with Guyana in 1994.