Monday, December 14, 2009

SPAIN COMMITS €228 MILLION FOR CHILDREN

UNICEF and the Government of Spain MADRID, 9 December 2009 signed a special agreement that will provide some €228 million ($336 million) over three years to support programmes that help children in need.
According to a press release from UNICEF below is the full tex of the release
This the new commitment by Spain takes the form of a three-year partnership agreement with UNICEF. It will enable increased activities focussed on the survival of young children, on basic education, on the protection of children, and on advocacy for government policies that support children’s rights and wellbeing, particularly in Africa.
Because this agreement involves a multi-year commitment subject to parliamentary approval, it will provide support for longer-term strategic programmes targeting the causes of problems that children around the world face, rather than simply addressing the consequences of these problems. Predictable financing is vitally important to programmes that provide sustainable solutions.
The commitment was formalized today in a framework agreement signed in Madrid by the Director of the Spanish Cooperation Agency, Elena Madrazo, and UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde F. Johnson.
The agreement will give additional impetus to a long-standing partnership between UNICEF and Spain, which has also resulted in the provision of urgent assistance to children caught up in humanitarian emergencies.
UNICEF has signed similar framework agreements with 15 other countries – Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, Spain and Switzerland. Their objective is to help meet the needs of children.
An additional agreement was also signed today by UNICEF and the Council of Andalucia, which has agreed to support child development and survival programs in Africa.
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
For further information, please contact:
Sally Sadie Singhateh, Communication Specialist, UNICEF The Gambia, Tel: 220-449-4760 (Ext-240) ssinghateh@unicef.org

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