Sub-regional partners

Sub-regional partners

National partners

National partners

 

Sub-regional partners

Introduction

UNICEF Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean works with partners at the sub-regional and at the national level.  Sub-regional partners for UNICEF include the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC); Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI); the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), NCH Action for Children and the University of the West Indies.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM):

CARICOM's mandate is "to provide dynamic leadership and service, in partnership with Community institutions and groups, toward the attainment of a viable, internationally competitive and sustainable Community, with improved quality of life for all." Eight of the countries covered by the UNICEF Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean  are members of CARICOM. These are: Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands have associate member status. UNICEF collaborates with CARICOM in social policy development, advocacy and partnerships for children with special focus on the areas of children’s protection, Early Childhood Development, HIV/AIDS and Lifeskills.

As a partner, CARICOM has played a leading role in the implementation of the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) programme in its member states and is Chair of the HFLE working group committee. At the wider social policy development, monitoring and evaluation level, CARICOM has taken the lead in providing training for the region’s statisticians in Dev Info – a monitoring and data collection tool, which will help countries monitor progress towards the MDGs.

Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC):

CAREC is administered on behalf of 21 member countries by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Health Organization's Regional Office for the Americas. UNICEF has worked indirectly with CAREC mainly in the area of funding immunization programmes, when required.

Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI):

CFNI's mandate is to cooperate technically with governments to strengthen their ability to analyze, manage and prevent key health and nutritional problems. UNICEF has worked with CFNI in developing the HFLE curriculum.

NCH Action for Children:

The NCH Action for Children is a technical support agency headquartered in the UK, with an office in Barbados. It focuses on child protection issues and it is in this area that it has primarily partnered with UNICEF. In collaboration with UNICEF, it has provided technical assistance and training for counterparts in the British Overseas Territories and is an integral partner with UNICEF and other development agencies in the OECS Family Law and Domestic Violence Reform Project.

The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat:

The mission of the OECS is to be "a major regional institution contributing to the sustainable development of the OECS Member States." With the exception of the Turks and Caicos Islands, all of the countries covered by the UNICEF Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean are members of the OECS. The OECS and UNICEF have collaborated mainly in the area of child protection. The OECS Secretariat, which is located in St. Lucia, has played a major role in the drafting of four (4) Model Legislation on Child Protection. These are the Juvenile Justice Bill; The Child Care and Protection Bill, The Status of Children Bill and the Domestic Violence Bill. It has also been instrumental in pushing the sub-regional agenda forward in the area of justice for children.

The University of the West Indies:

The University of the West Indies (UWI) has three locations: Mona Campus in Jamaica, Cave Hill Campus in Barbados and St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago. UWI has collaborated with UNICEF mainly in the areas of child protection, and HIV/AIDS and Lifeskills

Child Protection:

In the area of child protection, UWI, with support from UNICEF and its other development partners, has been providing research and analysis on the negative consequences and impact of the archaic family law legislative and infrastructural architecture. This insight continues to shape the reforms being effected under the OECS Family Law and Domestic Violence Reform Project.

Lifeskills:

The Departments of Education at UWI provide national accreditation and certification for teachers and through this process have been instrumental in promoting Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) as a key component of a balanced education for children.

In the period 2008-2011, UNICEF will continue to work with these and other partners in the fulfillment of rights for children.