UNICEF Executive Director's visit to Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and to speak at Beijing+10
On her fourth field visit since becoming UNICEF Executive Director in May, Ann M. Veneman visited China to address the Beijing+10 Conference. While in China she also visited child survival programmes for children in Ningxia province, take part in a roundtable on child trafficking, and headline a UN-wide panel discussion on the Millennium Development Goals and other topics. As part of her visit, Veneman met with senior government leaders and ministers to discuss China's progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, especially as they relate to the well-being of children. She was also briefed on China's National Plan of Action for Children, 2001-2010. On Friday and Saturday, August 26-27, Veneman visited Ningxia province, one of the least developed areas of the country and home to about 6 million people, a third from the Muslim Hui ethnic group. She visited UNICEF-assisted projects focused on maternal and child health, child nutrition, and programs for early childhood development. She also saw an initiative in the provincial capital that engages religious leaders on HIV/AIDS education and prevention activities.
On Monday 29 August, Ms. Veneman spoke at the opening ceremony of celebrations to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. Her speech drew particular attention to issues facing girls, including getting into and staying in school, HIV/AIDS, and gender-based violence. Later on Monday, Veneman also participated at "An Encounter with the United Nations," a panel discussion with the press and invited guests. Topics included the Beijing+10 Conference, the Millennium Development Goals, and UN Reform. The moderator was Jaime Florcruz, Beijing Bureau Chief of CNN. The panel included Mr. Zephrin Diabre (Associate Administrator, UNDP), Mr. Kim Hak-su (Executive Secretary, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), Ms. Rachel N.Mayanja (UN Assistant Secretary-General, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women), Mr. Khalid Malik (UN Resident Coordinator in China) and Ms. Noeleen Heyzer (Executive Director, UNIFEM). On Tuesday 30 August, Veneman participated at the opening session of the Annual Workshop of the Framework on Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Asia Pacific, hosted by the Government of China and the UN High Commission on Human Rights. Veneman addressed child protection, placing particular emphasis on the serious issue of child trafficking. Ann M. Veneman - Executive Director
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