New Child Protection Programme in Alexandria: UNICEF, Government and Civil Society Join Hands to Help Children at Risk

© UNICEF Egypt 2006

Mr. Mohamed Mahgoub, Governor of Alexandria, left Dr. Erma Manoncourt, UNICEF Egypt Representative signed the new agreement.

Cairo, 9 March 2006: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the governorate of Alexandria and the Arab Urban Development Institute, have signed the first agreement to protect children at risk in the city of Alexandria.  The programme aims at monitoring children at risk and providing them with adequate measures for their protection.

 “We're making a particular commitment to the needs of more vulnerable groups - children whose difficult circumstances demand special protection and rehabilitation,” said UNICEF’s Egypt Representative, Dr. Erma Manoncourt, at the signing ceremony.

The trilateral agreement will help set up a system to protect children from violence and other risks caused by social, economic and health problems. It will also activate children’s parliaments and provide training to social workers to help children coming from divided families or those exposed to violence in schools.

“Today, we pledge to make Alexandria a ‘Child Friendly City’ that cares for the development and protection of children, and provides all children with their rights,” Mr. Mohamed Mahgoub, governor of Alexandria, said. Through monitoring cases at risk, raising awareness in schools and at homes and developing protective policies, the new initiative will help children enjoy their rights and have favorable living conditions.

 

© Claudia Wiens/UNICEF/2006

The project will benefit children at risk in Alexandria

The programme, covering three districts in Alexandria -West, East and Montaza- aims at assisting the government and non-governmental organizations to better monitor and help children at risk, as well as those in need of protection. It comes as part of a larger regional child protection initiative supported by the Arab Urban Development Institute, based in Saudia Arabia.  The initiative helps local authorities in nine cities in the Middle East and North Africa region to better respond to the needs of children. 

Mr. Mahgoub, called on all parties taking part in the new initiative, to unify their efforts to help prevent children from dropping out of school and from all forms of violence.  “We should dedicate all our efforts, resources, relations and support required for the success of this protection program,” he said.

The project builds on an initiative supported by UNICEF in three districts of Alexandria during 2005.

For Further Information Please Contact

Simon Ingram, Communication Officer - singram@unicef.org
Tel: +(202) 5265083 through 9