The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNICEF on Monday signed a US$2.8M Annual Work Plan for the year that includes focus on specific interventions regarding policy and child rights, child protection and child survival and development.
The plan was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Deputy Representative of UNICEF Rudiger Luchmann, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said. In an invited comment, Rodrigues-Birkett told GINA that the plan includes programmes for the human services, health, youth, sport and education sectors and these ministries work with UNICEF in various areas, such as child protection and gender equality.
Commenting on the impact of the work plan on Guyana’s ability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the minister noted that the partnership with UNICEF is crucial to addressing women’s and children’s issues. She said UNICEF’s skills and experience meshes with the administration’s work in achieving both the MDGs and national goals. Rodrigues-Birkett noted too that a significant part of the meeting centred on Guyana’s achievements in 2010, since the plan continues work started last year.
In addition, Luchmann said the agency is now focusing on the holistic implementation of policies for all children in Guyana regardless of their geographical location. He said partners are also thinking ahead to the next country programme document for 2012-2016 that has already received government’s approval. “So what we saw today now is really yet another milestone,” Luchmann said. Health policies and guidelines for adolescents are also among UNICEF’s priorities this year, where focus will be placed on factors influencing the vulnerabilities of youth in hinterland areas, including domestic violence and gender issues.
Luchmann also lauded Guyana for its achievements in ensuring a better quality of life for children, while noting that the legislation has progressed favourably for women and children with the expansion of the protective legal environment. He stated that the eight pieces of children’s legislation, five of which government passed last year, as well as the creation of law, continuation of a visibly committed Child Care and Protection Agency and the formation of a fledgling Constitutional Commission on the Rights of the Child are among key achievements for the country.
According to Luchmann, one important achievement is the establishment of a stronger knowledge base to guide programming for children and women, which helped to identify critical gaps that need to be filled. Referring to the Guyana/UNICEF collaboration, he said, “we have been extremely blessed with the relationship that we have with the Government of Guyana. It is an extremely strong commitment for the issues that are relevant for training, inclusive quality education and child survival, child health services and child protection as well as child services.”
Luchmann said that there are several new policies and laws implemented last year, such as the Sexual Offences Bill and other child rights-related legislation that the partnership needs to follow up on. He noted too the two bodies needed to ensure that all the provisions that have been implemented are put into effect in 2011, so that poor children are not left behind. Government also already introduced school feeding programmes countrywide and uniform distribution programmes in all nursery, primary and secondary schools. “Priorities in this year’s work plan also include the development of institutional and legislative reform for children, including those in conflict with the law to ensure their right to survival, development, protection and participation are met and the development of a child protection database and roll-out of a national multimedia campaign on violence against women and children,” GINA said. Also, initiatives in the Child Survival and Development programme will address the right of all children to have the best start in life and to reach their full potential. These include development of a national Early Childhood Development (ECD) Policy and operational plan. Capacity building across regions/education levels for all categories of ECD practitioners and research in ECD child rearing practices in Guyana will also be prioritised this year.
GINA said Education Minister Shaik Baksh, Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy, Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai and Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand along with permanent secretaries attached to the ministries and other government officials also attended the signing.
