Friday, 19 September
The Executive Board concluded its second regular session of 2003 by approving a decision on UNICEF’s system for allocating regular resources to country programmes. The Board welcomed the progress made by UNICEF since 1998 in allocating regular resources to countries based on the three core criteria of under-five mortality rate, gross national income and child population. Under this system, UNICEF aims to allocate 60 per cent of regular resources to the least developed countries and already allocated 50 per cent to sub-Saharan Africa. The Board decided to continue to apply this system. After the decision was approved, a number of delegations from Latin America and the Caribbean reminded the Board that children in that region still face serious problems that are masked by national data, and urged UNICEF to continue to work with Governments to ensure that the rights of all children are protected. The Board also adopted its programme of work for 2004 and took a decision aimed at improving its own working methods.
Executive Director Carol Bellamy reminded delegations that they had begun the week by remembering the loss of the staff members killed in the attack on United Nations headquarters in Baghdad and their efforts to build a peaceful world. She also recognized the extraordinary efforts of all staff of all United Nations agencies. In that vein, the 2002 UNICEF Staff Award had been given globally to the staff behind the collective effort to support the back to School initiative in Afghanistan. These included staff from the Afghanistan country office, Supply Division, the regional offices for South Asia and Europe, headquarters and the Central Asia office.
In closing the session, the President, Ambassador Jenö Staehelin of Switzerland, expressed the gratitude of the Executive Board to UNICEF staff for their work, adding that the Board shared the grief and pain of the families of the staff who had been killed in Baghdad.
Thursday, 18 September
The Executive Board today reviewed UNICEF’s internal audit activities during 2002, and discussed its programme of work for 2004 and internal working methods.
Wednesday, 17 September
Some 3,000 African children die from malaria every day and over 1 million malaria-related deaths occur every year, 90 per cent of them in Africa, the Executive Board was told today during a presentation on UNICEF’s work in fighting that disease. Malaria is also a major cause of poverty in Africa because it reduces the productivity of workers and farmers and is a major cause of school absenteeism. However, there are highly effective tools to control malaria, including prompt access to effective treatment, the use of insecticide-treated bednets, preventive treatment of pregnant women and early prediction and management of epidemics. UNICEF, as part of the global Roll Back Malaria Partnership, is working with Governments and partners to tackle malaria by sourcing and providing insecticide-treated nets and other commodities.
In another oral presentation focusing on water and sanitation, the Board was told that globally, 1.1 billion people live without clean water and 2.4 people without adequate sanitation. UNICEF has worked in this sector for over 40 years, responding to drought emergencies, supporting the development of large-scale national water supply programmes, promoting community participation and the development of national capacities. Today, UNICEF is focusing on an inter-sectoral approach that combines child health, nutrition, education and clean water supply, focusing on countries with the lowest water and sanitation coverage and highest under-five mortality rates. UNICEF is paying special attention to water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, because poor hygiene and lack of water keep girls out of schools and affect children’s learning capabilities.
Other oral reports heard today covered UNICEF cooperation with the private sector and access to medicines and the trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS).
The Board also approved the country programme for Oman and a regional programme for the Gulf Area office. In addition, the Executive Board approved the medium-term financial plan for the period 2003-2006, approving the preparation of up to $151 million in programme expenditures from regular resources to be submitted to the Executive Board in 2004. The Board also approved the establishment of a funded reserve for after-service health insurance with an initial contribution of $30 million in 2003 and $10 million per year for the period 2004-2006, to be adjusted on the basis of future financial projections. The Board also reviewed a series of financial reports, including the financial report of UNICEF’s Private Sector Division for 2002.
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| © UNICEF/HQ03-0343/Nicole Toutounji |
| World Food Programme Executive Director James Morris addresses participants at the Second Regular Session of the 2003 UNICEF Executive Board, at United Nations Headquarters. |
Tuesday, 16 September
World Food Programme Executive Director James Morris addressed the Executive Board this morning, reminding members that there are 300 million hungry children in the world today, more than one half of whom do not go to school. "We can feed a child for $35 per year, and could feed all 300 million for $10 billion to $12 billion per year", he said. Mr. Morris added that UNICEF and WFP have to be the backbone of the partnership that will raise these funds and make sure that every child is fed, goes to school and has a chance to be alive. He also outlined the breadth of the partnership between UNICEF and WFP, which worked together in 45 countries last year, including a nutritional survey in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The latter, organized by the two agencies after prolonged negotiations with the Government, found that the WFP food aid programme in that country has helped to reduce the percentage of North Korean children who were underweight from 60 in 1998 to 20 in 2002. Other joint initiatives included school feeding programmes, which in turn offer a platform for HIV/AIDS interventions by attracting children to schools.
Continuing its programme of work, the Executive Board reviewed a series of regional reports on mid-terms reviews and major evaluations of country programmes. A mid-term review is held halfway through a country programme's cycles, which normally lasts five years, and allows UNICEF and its government partners to assess the direction of the country programme and make any necessary changes. UNICEF also conducts periodic evaluations or projects and programmes and uses the results to refine their objectives and methods. Yesterday the Board discussed reports for Eastern and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean, East Asia and the Pacific, South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa.
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| © UNICEF/HQ03-0342/Nicole Toutounji |
| World Health Organization Director-General Dr Lee Jong-wook addresses participants at the Second Regular Session of the 2003 UNICEF Executive Board, at United Nations Headquarters. |
Monday, 15 September
Opening its second regular session of 2003, the Executive Board paid tribute to UNICEF’s Chris Klein-Beekman and the other United Nations staff members killed in Baghdad on 19 August. The Board’s President, Ambassador Jenö Staehelin of Switzerland, said that Member States must rededicate themselves to ensuring the safety of staff who are working to fulfil the ideals of the United Nations Charter. UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy added that despite the dangers of working in many places, UNICEF will never turn away from its humanitarian mission and reminded the Board that “the well-being of the world’ children is everybody’s business, from the grassroots to the highest offices in the land”.
Also addressing the Board was the newly-elected Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Lee Jong-Wook. Dr. Lee stressed the importance of the decades-long partnership between UNICEF and WHO, which continues today in the global polio eradication campaign, the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and efforts to stop children and young people from smoking. He promised that during his tenure, WHO would remain ‘the best friend of UNICEF, and the best friend of children in the world”.
In other business, the Executive Board reviewed UNICEF’s system for allocating regular resources to country programmes. Regular resources are non-earmarked contributions from Governments and other donors, and which are allocated to country programmes based on three core criteria of a country’s under-five mortality rate, gross national income and child population. The system gives priority least developed countries and sub-Saharan Africa, while giving all qualifying countries a minimum level of funds. The Board is reviewing this system, which was adopted by the Executive Board in 1996.
