The Argentine Foreign Ministry, through the Secretariat for International Coordination and Cooperation, participated in the signature of a Country Programme Action Plan 2016-2020 with UNICEF (United Nations Children's Emergency Fund) Argentina this afternoon at the Palacio San Martín.
The event was attended by Florence Bauer, UNICEF Representative in Argentina, Ambassador Patricio Benegas, Secretary for International Coordination and Cooperation of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, Ana Ciuti, Head of the General Directorate for International Cooperation (DGCIN) of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, federal government officials and five members of the Bureau of the UNICEF Executive Board, which comprises 36 members representing the five regional groups of Member States at the United Nations.
Benegas stated that "it is an honour to receive UNICEF representatives. For us, this is an important demonstration of trust, as displayed by 57 years of relations between the organization and the Argentine Republic. Our President is strongly committed to the task that we are undertaking and the plan that we are agreeing upon and signing today. I am convinced that UNICEF representatives share exactly the same commitment."
"We all come to the world in the same way, with the same needs. We all need to be taken care of, to be kept warm, to be fed, to have access to healthcare and education, and to receive help to develop. Interestingly, none of the necessities I have just mentioned, which are more pressing in some parts of the world, prevent UNICEF from being present everywhere and delivering on its mission, in spite of all the different issues, realities and challenges that we may be faced with," noted Benegas.
The innovative cooperation programme for Argentina comprises five working areas: Social Inclusion and Monitoring of Children's Rights; Inclusive and High-quality Education; Child Protection and Access to Justice; Health and Well-being of Children and Adolescents; and Social and Resource Mobilization. Based on the dialogue held with Argentine authorities, the UNICEF Cooperation Programme was aligned with the priorities of our country: the Zero Poverty Initiative, the Strategic Plan for Early Infancy, and the development of the Belgrano Plan.
The new Action Plan is part of the UN Development Assistance Framework, and it was coordinated with the Secretariat for International Coordination and Cooperation of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as with other Federal and Provincial Ministries. It is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UNICEF's Strategic Plan 2014-2017, and it has taken into account the recommendations made by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Attending national officials will also participate in a workshop to continue working on the 2016-2017 Biannual Plan. The meeting will be attended by members of Government Ministries and Secretariats.
Press Release No. 103/16
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