Oman and UNICEF agree on plan of action to help children

Business Sunday 04/February/2018 23:00 PM
By: Times News Service
Oman and UNICEF agree on plan of action to help children

Muscat: The Sultanate and UNICEF signed an agreement on a plan of action for a national programme to help children in the country, on Sunday.
A statement put out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs read, “The programme will extend until 2020 and will focus on the development of early childhood and the protection of children from violence and the integration of children with special needs.”
Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, and Lana Al Wreikat, UNICEF representative in Muscat, signed the plan. This plan outlines the programmes to be implemented in the Sultanate with a focus on the integrated development of early childhood, protection of children from violence and the integration of children with disabilities.
The National Programme Action Plan was designed in consultation with the Government of the Sultanate, represented by the Child Protection and Welfare Agencies, as the ministries Social Development and Health.
It is in line with national policies and strategies related to child care and supports the Sultanate’s commitment to implement the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Lana Al Wreikat, UNICEF representative in Muscat said “This programme aims to support the UNICEF’s efforts to promote broader child services and help achieve sustainable development goals, particularly those related to children’s health, nutrition, education and protection.”
She explained that the nature of this partnership and the focus of the national program could develop steadily over the years to address the emerging issues and challenges for children in high-income countries, noting that the UNICEF has a long-standing partnership with the Sultanate that began in 1971 through the Gulf-based office in Abu Dhabi, followed by the opening of the UNICEF Office in Muscat in 1982.