Venezuela and Unicef seek to strengthen social programs for children

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Government of Venezuela and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) intend to strengthen social programs in the Caribbean country to guarantee the well-being of children and adolescents, the Foreign Ministry informed on Monday (1) through a communiqué, after a meeting between authorities of both institutions.

The meeting, which was attended by the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza, and the regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean of Unicef, Jean Gough, accompanied by other officials, “served to deepen cooperation” to improve the conditions of minors.

According to the note issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arreaza and Gough “talked about the programs and projects that are being developed in Venezuela in a coordinated manner in the field of children and the guarantee of their rights, within the framework of cooperation with the United Nations system.”

As part of her official visit, the Unicef representative also held meetings with other state authorities who head offices that execute policies in favor of children, such as the National Autonomous Institute for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (Idena), Luisara Rabichini.

Gough also met with the sectoral vice-president for Social and Territorial Socialism, Eduardo Piñate, and with the Ombudsman, Alfredo Ruiz.

The Chancellery reiterated in the note released to the press that the conversations held between the Unicef representative and the Venezuelan officials have “the purpose of cooperating and strengthening the efforts for the benefit and protection of this age group.”

Unicef has been present in Venezuela since 1967. In 1991 the first “Country Program” was signed, a framework document for its cooperation with national actors.