Incoming representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Guyana and Suriname, Ms. Sylvie Fouet presented her Letter of Credence recently to Carl Greenidge, Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

According to a release from UNICEF, Ms. Fouet has been with UNICEF over thirteen years, during which she has worked extensively in the Middle East and Africa.  Before being assigned to the Guyana and Suriname Office, she served as UNICEF Deputy Representative for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“In this capacity, she has provided leadership in the implementation of one of the largest UNICEF programmes.  Previously, she has served as UNICEF adviser for Resource Mobilization and Advocacy as part of the Headquarters’ Partnerships Division posted in Europe.  She led the Brussels-based UN policy group on humanitarian-security-development nexus and has conducted field support missions, including to Thailand, Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia,” the release noted.

Prior to supporting global partnerships, she served as UNICEF Emergency Specialist for the Middle East and North Africa Regional Office located in Jordan, including direct support to Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.  Prior to joining UNICEF, she also served the European Union and the Middle East Peace process in various capacities.

It was further noted that Ms. Fouet takes the helm of UNICEF Guyana and Suriname as the office prepares to begin its new country programme for 2017-2021 to support the efforts to accelerate the realization of children’s rights by fostering greater social inclusion and by reducing inequities, especially for the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families.

The programme has three priority areas: (i) safety and justice, (ii) lifelong learning and (iii) social inclusion and child rights monitoring. It will provide a framework for strengthening South-South and Regional cooperation, as well as promoting gender equality and the empowerment of girls.