Mandate

Is the UN's lead agency for children's rights, mandated by the UN General Assembly to advocate for the promotion and protection of the rights of all children, to help meet their needs and expand their opportunities to reach their full potentials in times of conflict, peace and transition.

In the country since: 1994

At a glance:

• Began its first cycle of cooperation by supporting the national immunization programme and improving the quality of education in the country
• Currently has comprehensive programmes in the areas of System Strengthening for Child Rights and Child Rights Monitoring and Social Policy
• Works on enabling municipalities to provide diversified early childhood development services
• Promotes and supports inclusion of all children in basic education and improvement of students’ outcomes in line with the adopted child-friendly school standards
• Supports improved implementation of the mother and child health related preventive programmes
• Works on strengthening protective environment for children and setting up a juvenile justice system that promotes alternatives to imprisonment
• Enhances the capacities of local governments in addressing children's issues at the municipal level
• Generates data and knowledge on social inclusion to ensure that the issues of the most vulnerable children are reflected in social and economic policy development
• Strengthens the capacities to use the data on child-related indicators in planning, budgeting and managing activities as well as in monitoring child rights at the national and local level
• Mobilises partnerships and alliances to raise awareness and leverage resources for issues related to child rights, child poverty and social exclusion
• Works closely with the national and local government, international partners, civil society groups, international and local NGOs, families and children themselves 
• Directly and indirectly impacts country’s 500,000 children between the ages of 0 and 18 and their families.