中國(guó)政府與聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)簽定五年國(guó)別合作計(jì)劃
聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)(UNICEF)和中國(guó)政府日前在北京簽署了新一輪為期五年的《中國(guó)政府/聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)合作方案行動(dòng)綱領(lǐng)(2011-2015年)》,旨在進(jìn)一步改善中國(guó)兒童和婦女的狀況。該計(jì)劃的執(zhí)行期限將持續(xù)到2015年,投入近8億7100萬元人民幣用于為中國(guó)最需要幫助的兒童和婦女提供援助,縮小差距以及倡導(dǎo)平等權(quán)益等方面。
合作計(jì)劃由商務(wù)部部長(zhǎng)助理俞建華先生代表中國(guó)政府與聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)駐華代表魏英瑛博士于2011年2月23日共同簽署。
該計(jì)劃將重點(diǎn)關(guān)注弱勢(shì)群體,包括農(nóng)村流動(dòng)兒童和留守兒童、少數(shù)民族兒童、生活在貧困邊遠(yuǎn)地區(qū)的兒童等等,為他們努力爭(zhēng)取平等均衡的發(fā)展機(jī)會(huì)。商務(wù)部負(fù)責(zé)全面協(xié)調(diào)聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)在中國(guó)項(xiàng)目的實(shí)施。
俞建華部長(zhǎng)助理在簽署《中國(guó)政府/聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)合作方案行動(dòng)綱領(lǐng)(2011-2015年)》文本時(shí)表示:聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)是世界兒童福祉的倡導(dǎo)者,是兒童權(quán)益的守護(hù)者,是我們十分珍視的老朋友。中國(guó)政府贊賞30年來聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)對(duì)中國(guó)兒童的發(fā)展事業(yè)所做的重要貢獻(xiàn),愿通過新的合作方案繼續(xù)加強(qiáng)并深化雙方的合作關(guān)系。
聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)駐華代表魏英瑛博士表示:“我很榮幸和中國(guó)政府簽署這份合作計(jì)劃。在商務(wù)部的協(xié)調(diào)下,通過合作項(xiàng)目,我們幫助中國(guó)政府在保護(hù)兒童權(quán)益等方面取得了驕人的成績(jī),例如大規(guī)模免疫接種、顯著降低母嬰死亡率,以及最近建立的中國(guó)綜合兒童福利體系和受艾滋病影響兒童的保護(hù)等?!?/p>
新的合作方案旨在改善兒童健康營(yíng)養(yǎng)和兒童接受基本教育服務(wù)的狀況以及保護(hù)婦女兒童免受艾滋病感染的侵害。進(jìn)一步強(qiáng)化有關(guān)政策制定及執(zhí)行機(jī)制,完善基于社區(qū)的兒童服務(wù)體系以及提升飲用水品質(zhì)和環(huán)境衛(wèi)生服務(wù)。
聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)將繼續(xù)致力于在中國(guó)最貧困地區(qū)開展試點(diǎn)項(xiàng)目以探索模式,積累經(jīng)驗(yàn)。創(chuàng)新性的工作模式和成功經(jīng)驗(yàn)會(huì)被納入國(guó)家政策和項(xiàng)目之中,惠及全中國(guó)的兒童。
盡管目前中國(guó)正穩(wěn)步推進(jìn)千年發(fā)展計(jì)劃(MDGs)至2015年,在貧困的鄉(xiāng)村仍有為數(shù)眾多的婦女和兒童無法獲得應(yīng)有的幫助和服務(wù)。
在過去的30年間,中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)經(jīng)歷了前所未有的快速增長(zhǎng),但經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展仍不均衡。收入的城鄉(xiāng)差別、地域差別在逐漸增大。估計(jì)在中國(guó)仍有超過一億兒童的日均生活費(fèi)用在兩美元以下。官方統(tǒng)計(jì)顯示中國(guó)最貧困地區(qū)的健康水平仍然與低收入國(guó)家近似。中國(guó)在五歲以下兒童死亡的絕對(duì)數(shù)字仍然排在世界前五位。
該合作方案行動(dòng)綱領(lǐng)的簽署是魏英瑛博士任期內(nèi)重要成就之一。緬甸籍的魏英瑛博士自2006年起擔(dān)任聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)駐華代表,并于本月底正式退休,離開了她摯愛的聯(lián)合國(guó)兒童基金會(huì)。此前,她曾經(jīng)負(fù)責(zé)督導(dǎo)該組織在西非、中東、東歐、東亞及太平洋地區(qū)的項(xiàng)目監(jiān)督和實(shí)施等工作。
Government of China and UNICEF sign Five-Year Cooperation Plan
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Government of China signed a new five-year “Country Programme Action Plan” to improve the situation of children and women in China. The plan, which runs through 2015, will mobilize nearly RMB871 million to reduce disparities and promote equity for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and women.
The plan was signed by Assistant Minister Mr. Yu Jianhua of the Ministry of Commerce on behalf of the Government of China and Dr. Yin Yin Nwe, UNICEF Representative in China in February 23, 2011.
The plan will focus on vulnerable groups, including migrant children and children left behind in rural areas; ethnic minorities; children living in poor, rural and remote communities and others, in an effort to promote equitable and balanced development. The Ministry of Commerce is responsible for overall coordination of UNICEF's programmes in China.
"UNICEF is an advocate for children's welfare, a protector of children's rights and interests and a cherished old friend of China," said Mr. Yu Jianhua, Assistant Minister of Commerce. "The Chinese government appreciates the important contribution made by UNIECF over the past 30 years to the development of Chinese Children. China would like to further enhance and deepen cooperation with UNICEF through the new Programme of Cooperation."
"I am delighted to sign this new five-year action plan with the Government of China," said Dr. Yin Yin Nwe, UNICEF China Representative. "Under the coordination of the Ministry of Commerce, our joint programme has supported many of China's notable milestones for children, including expanded immunization, dramatic reduction of child and maternal mortality and more recently, development of China's comprehensive child welfare system as well as important gains for children affected by HIV-AIDS."
The new programme aims to improve the health and nutrition status of children, increase access to quality basic education services, protect women and children from the spread of HIV-AIDS, strengthen social policies and implementation mechanisms, improve access to community-based child protection services and upgrade drinking water quality and sanitation services.
UNICEF will continue to focus much of its support on introducing pilot projects in the poorest communities in China with a view to adapting approaches and documenting best practices. Experiences gained from innovative models and approaches will be scaled up by the Government of China as national programmes and policies to reach a very large cross-section of China's children.
Though China is well on track to achieve the overall Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the absolute number of under-served children and women, mostly in poor rural areas, remains quite large.
Over the past 30 years, China has experienced unprecedented rates of economic growth, but development has been uneven. Income disparities between rural and urban residents and among different regions of the country have been rising, and it is estimated that more than 100 million Chinese children are still living on less than two dollars per day. Official statistics also show that the health outcomes in the poorest communities are similar to those in low-income countries. China is still among the top five countries in the world in terms of the absolute number of child deaths under the age of five.
The signing of the action plan is one of the last significant accomplishments of Dr. Yin Yin Nwe's tenure as UNICEF Representative in China. Dr Nwe, a native of Myanmar, began her term in China in late 2006. She will retire from UNICEF service at the end of the month following a long and distinguished career which included leadership roles in programme monitoring and implementation in West Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and East Asia and the Pacific.
(China.org.cn March 2, 2011)