Guyana, UNICEF sign children rights, gender equality agreement
THE Government of Guyana and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) yesterday signed a five-year agreement which will serve as an advocate for the rights of children and foster gender equality in this country. The sum of US$15.2M has been allocated for the programme of action for the period 2012-2016 and is expected to see Guyana moving to the next level to support the needs of women and children.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and the UNICEF Guyana Representative, Dr. Suliman Braimoh affixed their signatures to the documentation at the Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of Foreign affairs, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.
Braimoh said the financial disbursement will be based on agreed work plans with the non-governmental organisation and the Government of Guyana.
He noted that the scheme will be fully rolled out over the five-year span and is expected to make full impact on Guyana’s women and children in a positive way.
“We are providing support to issues on policy to Government framework and technical assistance for the environment for the implementation of action plans to ensure children and women rights exist and that the policy environment is implemented and maintained,” the diplomat said.
Rodrigues-Birkett welcomed the new initiative and said that her ministry is ready to advance in this regard.
According to her, the system of cooperation will see ventures with civil society participation being implemented.
She said the country programme was developed through a mutual understanding between the two signing parties to deal specifically with the rights of the child and for greater parity in gender equality while outlining the responsibilities in implementing such policies.
Rodrigues-Birkett said, in preparing the current arrangement, the Guyanese Government undertook a comprehensive review of the previous one which specifies focus on identifying the areas of significant achievements, in the areas of policy advancement, establishment of best practices in early childhood development, child protection and development and child survival as well as adolescence development in an effort to streamline the present to address areas where more work needs to be done.
The process will support national priorities and policies of increasing and improving social issues for child survival and protection, adolescence development and parliamentary reform with regards to legislation for the protection of children and women.
It would also provide the framework for both the Government of Guyana and UNICEF to realise the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the minister acknowledged.