ASHGABAT (TCA) — Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, and UNICEF Representative in Turkmenistan, Ms. Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, signed the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) for the period of 2016-2020. The five-year cooperation programme is the result of the consultative process and strategic partnership between the Government of Turkmenistan and UNICEF to advance wellbeing of children and women in the country, UNICEF Turkmenistan said on March 23.
The CPAP outlines strategic areas of cooperation between the Government and UNICEF in light of the emerging national development priorities and ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in realization of the child rights agenda. The partnership framework builds on the progress achieved in the course of more than 20 years of collaboration and lessons-learnt, and sets up the commitments to innovate for improved solutions and results for all women and children, including children with disabilities.
The new programme of cooperation aims to accelerate the universal realization of child rights through aligning its legal framework, policies and practices for children with international standards and best practices. In keeping with the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the CPAP will be jointly implemented to achieve the results in four inter-connected strategic components – young child survival and well-being; quality and inclusive early learning; reducing social inequities; and partnerships for child rights to ensure wellbeing of young children and children with disabilities.
“The Government of Turkmenistan stands ready to work together with UNICEF to make sustainable and equitable progress for children in the spirit of SDGs agenda. By entering into renewed partnership, we are reinforcing Turkmenistan’s commitment to further co-finance joint programmes for children,” said Rashid Meredov.
The partnership will continue to strengthen accountability mechanisms and to increase public investments in the new programme building on successful experience of co-financing of the previous programme of cooperation.
