Organized by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the UNICEF Office in Croatia, an annual meeting was held on Wednesday, during which representatives of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and UNICEF, together with many partners, reflected on the jointly achieved results in the past year and the entire 2017-2022 programme cooperation cycle, and announced the priorities for the new 2023-2027 cooperation cycle.
State Secretary for Political Affairs Frano Matušić and Representative of UNICEF Office for Croatia Regina Castillo described the cooperation to date as successful, underscoring that systematic investments for the benefit of children and youth contribute to their protection even in the most challenging circumstances. The two officials said that major results had been achieved in protecting the rights of children, adding that intensified cooperation, exchange of experience and overview of past practice could bring about new solutions and possibilities of advancing the protection and promotion of the rights of children.
Matušić said that the Croatian Government, together with UNICEF and numerous partners, was strategically investing in the protection and better conditions for the development of children and youth in Croatia, while at the same time helping other countries through development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. He said that the rights of children were an integral part of human rights and that protecting them was an investment in both our and their future, stressing that Croatia would remain a strong advocate for the rights of children, both nationally and multilaterally.
The Croatian Government through the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has been cooperating with UNICEF for a long time and have jointly implemented a number of projects aimed at youth and children in countries such as Syria, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. Croatia also donated one million euros to the UNICEF’s programme to provide Ukrainian schools and hospitals with 50 electric generators.
In addition, the Ministry is contributing to the promotion and protection of the rights of children and youth by cooperation with other partners and through other forms of assistance. To support a project that protects the right of children and youth to education, Croatia donated one million euros for the reconstruction of the Iliria School in Krujë, Albania, which has recently opened for 156 students.
The new 2023-2027 cooperation cycle between UNICEF and the Croatian Government will directly contribute to Croatia’s National Development Strategy 2030 and other key strategies, such as the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the National Child Rights Plan, and the National Action Plan for Child Guarantee. The cooperation will include programs and activities aimed at further developing and strengthening the protection, health care, education and skills development of children and adolescents, with a special focus on the most vulnerable and those who are growing up at risk of social exclusion.
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