UNICEF signs US$15.2M deal to bolster the rights of women, children

Mar 28, 2012 News

For a number of years now, major focus has been placed globally on improving

UNICEF’s Guyana/Suriname Representative, Dr. Suleiman Braimoh and Guyana’s Foreign Minister shortly after the signing yesterday.

the rights of women and children regardless of race, culture, status or age.
Yesterday, a US$15.2M five-year project agreement was yesterday signed between United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Guyana Government to assist the country to strengthen and boost these rights in keeping with the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Kaieteur News understands that the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) 2012-2016 which was signed yesterday is divided into two phases.
According to UNICEF’s Guyana/Suriname Representative, Dr. Suleiman Braimoh, the first phase is being referred to as the “upstream area”.
In this phase, his agency will provide support to the Government in areas such as policies framework and technical assistance. This is to ensure that the environment for the implementation of action to achieve the rights of women and children exist.
The second phase is termed as the “downstream equity programmes” which would draw from the framework of the policies to do actual implementation in the ground that has a direct impact on women and children in society.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who signed the agreement on behalf of Guyana, disclosed that the occasion is testimony towards the country’s commitment to improve the lives of both women and children.
The signing of the document comes at a critical time as Guyana strives to meet the MDGs and the necessary work will be done to take the country further into achieving the outstanding targets, she said.
According to the Minister, it is expected that the present CPAP like those of the previous cycles will continue to support the national priorities and policies of increasing and improving the lives of children especially in the areas of child survival and protection, adolescent development and legislation.
Kaieteur News was also told that the project is focused mainly on three specific areas. These include the strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation for equity focus and gender sensitive fulfillment of the rights of both children and women. It will also include evidence based programmes and another component which will include disaster risk reduction initiatives, emergency preparedness and responses.
The above mentioned areas have specific focuses on their components and statistical collection of date on key indicators play a major part. Much work is to be done to ensure that the database is updated regarding each household.
National household surveys will also be conducted on women and children.
The Country Programme was developed through the mutual agreement between the Guyanese Government and UNICEF and will support national priorities and policies. This will be done by increasing and improving social issues for child survival and protection, adolescent development and parliamentary reform with regards to legislation for the protection of children and women.
It will also provide the framework for both the government and UNICEF to realise the MDGs.