EU Neighbourhood
EU & UNICEF
E U & U N I C E F P R E S S PAC K
partners for children
November 2013
EU & UNICEF: partners for children
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A key partnership
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Syria crisis: working together to help children
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Working together in the Neighbourhood (East)
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Working together in the Neighbourhood (South)
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PHOTO GALLERY VIDEOS 2013 EU & UNICEF: an ANSA feature for World Children’s Day video SUCCESS STORIES
2013 Health in Syria 2010 Juvenle Justice in Georgia
This publication exists only in electronic format. It has been prepared by the European Neighbourhood Info Centre, a project funded by the EU. It does not represent the official view of the EC or the EU Institutions. The EC accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to its content.
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2013 Education in Jordan
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EU & UNICEF: partners for children The relationship between the European Union and UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has deepened in recent years, as the EU has joined forces with UNICEF to secure the highest possible quality of life for children the world over. “We have a privileged relationship both ways,” says UNICEF Director of Programmes Dr. Nicholas Alipui, “in which we can bring a lot of our field expertise and global outreach to the policy and programme and humanitarian work that they do, and we can benefit from their new focus on human rights and the rights of children”. Both the EU & UNICEF are working towards all children having access to and enjoying the right to education, adequate nutrition, safe water and sanitation and health. Other priorities include protection from discrimination, exploitation, violence and abuse.
EU & UNICEF PRESS PACK “If I see the society of tomorrow, it’s basically today’s kids, so investing in them basically provides the answer to the challenges that we face, be it climate change, poverty or war, so definitely the kids will make the difference.”
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Andris Piebalgs European Commissioner for Development
In 2009, the European Union adopted the Treaty of Lisbon, which puts human rights, including children’s rights, at the heart of the European humanitarian agenda. The European Union is also committed to the Millennium Development Goals and to eradicating poverty by 2015. As 2015 draws closer, UNICEF and the European Union are strengthening their partnership, working with governments, civil societies, national parliaments and others to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The partnership has a particular focus on equity, and strives to reach the most vulnerable children. UNICEF and the European Union support the work of national governments in promoting human and children’s rights and communicate widely on how the partnership is contributing to the wellbeing, development and protection of children, including adolescents. Achieving greater results for children will be the overriding goal of the partnership in the years to come.
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SUCCESS STORIES Don’t touch, stay safe – Info Centre feature in Libya link Education of Syrian refugees – UNICEF feature in Syria www.unicef.org/infobycountry/syriancrisis_69813.html Children and AIDS – UNICEF feature in Ukraine www.unicef.org/ukraine/reallives_20835.html
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A key partnership
EU & UNICEF PRESS PACK
As the world’s largest donor, the EU provides more than half of total aid to developing countries. The European Commission alone accounts for 13 per cent of total aid – €12.3 billion in 2009.
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European Union development cooperation supports services crucial to children’s rights, such as health, education, and social protection, as well as combating discrimination, child labour and human trafficking. To achieve these objectives the EU works with UNICEF and other partners around the world.
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Development aid The European Commission’s EuropeAid Co-operation Office ensures that development assistance is delivered to those who need it worldwide. Contributions from EuropeAid to UNICEF vary from year to year, but have been around €30 million. For the period 2007-2013, the EU’s development action in the field of children in the Neighbourhood is mainly financed through three types of instruments:
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the main geographical instrument, the European Neighbourhood & Partnership Instrument the thematic programme Investing in people, where 8.5% of the budget is allocated for “Protection and participation of children and youth”. the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).
Humanitarian aid The EU as a whole (the Member States and the Commission) is also one of the world’s main humanitarian aid donors; the Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) works closely with UNICEF, and is one of its top donors. In 2009, ECHO gave UNICEF €40 million to assist children and women in emergencies.
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Syria crisis: working together to help children
EU & UNICEF PRESS PACK
The EU is the largest donor to UNICEF’s appeal to help the children victims of the war in Syria. By the end of 2013, the EU contribution to UNICEF’s operations in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey is expected to reach more than €75 million.
“We need to do all we can to prevent a lost generation growing up without access to school as a result of the terrible conflict in Syria.”
In September 2013, UNICEF and the EU signed a new cooperation agreement providing an additional €34.2 million to protect children affected by the crisis and promote access to learning in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, giving 2.5 million children in the region a chance to receive education and the hope for a better future.
Štefan Füle, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy
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The EU & UNICEF work together on a wide range of projects to help children victims of the crisis in Syria. A series of videos and success stories shows the real impact of this partnership on the ground: Students promote learning in Za’atari Camp, Jordan Continuing studies amid continuing unrest, in the Syrian Arab Republic Syrian children in Turkey build bridges to the future In Turkey, teachers learn how to work better with their Syrian refugee pupils Summer camps help Syrian refugee children recover, regain missed education Jordan – For refugee children, school back in session Strengthening the water infrastructure in Zaatari camp
Summer camps help Syrian refugee children recover, regain missed education
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Working together in the Neighbourhood (East)
EU & UNICEF PRESS PACK
In the East, the EU & UNICEF work together on a number of projects, both across the region and in individual countries Juvenile Justice Reform in ENP East countries and Central Asia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan and Ukraine). Running from 2011-2013, this €1.5 million project seeks to strengthen juvenile justice system reform in ENP East countries and Central Asia through UNICEF-led support for legislative reforms, capacity building, the setting up of alternatives to detention and research on torture and ill-treatment. Video: Georgia – Juvenile justice system focuses on rehabilitation
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Examples of joint projects are presented on a UNICEF webportal, which highlights just some of the projects where the EU & UNICEF are working together to improve children’s lives.
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Capacity building of non-state actors for HIV-AIDS testing and counseling of most-at-risk adolescents and young people (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine). Running from 2012-2014, this €2 million project aims to build capacities of non-state actors in ENP East countries to increase the access of adolescents and young people within most-at-risk populations to confidential, anonymous, and free HIV testing and counseling services and build linkages to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care. Changes that save lives: a story of success in Ukraine Georgia Disaster Risk Reduction programme Since June 2010, UNICEF along with local Government and NGO partners, have been implementing a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programme among vulnerable communities in Georgvia, funded by the European Commission humanitarian aid department (ECHO). Video: Georgia – UNICEF prepares students for potential disasters
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Working together in the Neighbourhood (South)
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EU & UNICEF PRESS PACK
In the South, apart from the considerable effort to help the victims of the Syrian conflict, UNICEF and the EU collaborate across the region to improve the lives and opportunities of children.
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Projects include: Egypt: working together against Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) Through a joint project on the abandonment of social norms harmful to girls and women, UNICEF and the EU have helped save thousands of girls from female genital mutilation in five African countries – Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Senegal and Sudan.
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EU webpage – EU saves thousands of girls from female genital mutilation/ cutting and child marriage
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UNICEF video – Egypt – Villagers Say No to FGM/C Helping Palestinian children to deal with conflict The EU & UNICEF work together on a number of projects that seek to help children come to terms with the impact of the ongoing conflict. These include: Occupied Palestinian Territory - Protecting childhood (video) Children affected by the recent violence in the State of Palestine are encouraged to come to terms with the past (success story) Palestinian children and women fight distress in East Jerusalem (success story) UNICEF provides support to Palestinian students through rehabilitation and psychosocial sessions (success story) Libya – improving access to education A two-year, €1.3 million funded by the European Union and implemented by UNICEF to improve access to quality education for all children in Libya, with a special focus on the most vulnerable children, including those affected by the conflict and those that are internally displaced. Over 1.2 million Libyan children return to school after months of conflict (success story) FIND OUT MORE
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Useful Links
EU & UNICEF PRESS PACK
EU-UNICEF joint projects in the ENP South and East regions (2010-2013) East
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CEE/CIS Regional Office partnership with the EU www.unicef.org/ceecis/partners_13720.html Justice for Children: High level regional conference in Brussels in June 2013 part of EU-UNICEF project www.unicef.org/ceecis/protection_24084.html Various one-minute junior videos produced as part of EU-UNICEF project on justice for children. www.unicef.org/ceecis/media_20646.html
Interviews with Commissioner Piebalgs, Commissioner Georgieva and ECHO Director General Sorensen
Justice for children in Georgia supported by the EU (2012) www.unicef.org/georgia/media_19634.html
www.unicef.org/eu/index.html
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Juvenile justice system in Georgia supported by the EU (2012) www.unicef.org/georgia/media_16005.html EU & UNICEF: juvenile justice in Moldova (2013) www.unicef.org/moldova/media_24299.html
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UNICEF and the EU working together in Ukraine www.unicef.org/ukraine/children_15262.html UNICEF project funded by the EU on “Support to Children in Difficult life circumstances” in Ukraine www.unicef.org/ukraine/children_20919.html UNICEF project funded by the EU on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care in Ukraine and other ENP countries www.unicef.org/ukraine/children_20913.html Child Development in Chernobyl affected Ukraine www.unicef.org/ukraine/reallives_14761.html UNICEF project funded by the EU in support of vulnerable children in Ukraine www.unicef.org/ukraine/reallives_13916.html EU-UNICEF Human interest success story on health (AIDS) in Ukraine www.unicef.org/ukraine/reallives_20835.html South Video on Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt www.unicef.org/eu/devaid_child_protection.html#pid474 Video and human interest story on joint education project in Syria www.unicef.org/infobycountry/syria_53970.html Video and human interest story on joint project on health in Syria www.unicef.org/infobycountry/syria_53302.html Launch of an EU funded project in Tunisia in June 2013 www.unicef.org.tn/html/eve_27062013.htm EU & UNICEF support Libya’s education programmes (2013) www.unicef.org/eu/files/PR_eu_unicef_033013.pdf Human interest story on Education of Syrian Refugees in Syria July 2013 www.unicef.org/infobycountry/syriancrisis_69813.html
EU Neighbourhood Handbooks From the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre website, a number of different handbooks can be downloaded, offering tips to media professionals for improved coverage of EU cooperation activities, but also providing information on how to access EU funding or to navigate through EU jargon. A wealth of knowledge at your disposal, just a click away on www.enpi-info.eu.
Human interest story - Syrian children in Turkey - August 2013 www.unicef.org/infobycountry/syriancrisis_70070.html MENA Regional Office: www.unicef.org/mena/media_376.html
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EU & UNICEF PRESS PACK
UNICEF and the European Union – web portal EuropeAid – children and youth
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European Commission Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection (ECHO)
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UNICEF – Middle East and North Africa
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UNICEF – Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States
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EU Neighbourhood Library Our online database Action plans Agreements Country reports Declarations Resolutions Strategy documents
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EU & UNICEF PRESS PACK The EU is a major donor for the Neighbourhood. The lion’s share of its regional support is channelled through the EuropeAid Co-operation Office and the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). Approximately 10 percent of the ENPI funds are allocated to regional programmes and projects. ENPI funding approved for the period 2007-2013 was €11.2 billion. The proposed amount for the ENPI – to be renamed European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) – in 2014-2020 is €18,2 billion. East: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. South: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia.
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European Commission http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid Directorate General Development and Cooperation – EuropeAid
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EU Neighbourhood Info Centre An ENPI project The EU Neighbourhood Info Centre is an EU-funded Regional Communication project highlighting the partnership between the EU and Neighbouring countries. This presspack has been produced by the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre.
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Photos: UNICEF and AFP/EPA for the EU Neighourhood Info Centre Copyright EU/EU Neighbourhood Info Centre 2013
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