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UNICEF Executive Director Returns From Mission to Four Countries

20 February 2006 – Ann M. Veneman, UNICEF’s Executive Director, has just returned from a nine-day four country mission to the United Kingdom, Italy, Rwanda and Tanzania.  After just 10 months as UNICEF Executive Director she has already visited 22 countries in three continents.

Her latest trip began in London where UNICEF and UK Department for International Development (DFID) hosted a meeting of over 90 global partners aligned to address the AIDS pandemic.  The forum focused on universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care, helping families to protect and care for orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV and the importance of education.

Next came a 14-hour stopover in Torino to attend the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games as an official guest.  She met with International Olympic Committee partners and UNICEF Italian National Committee staff who have set up a number of information booths around the Olympic venues.

From the 12th to the 13th of February, Veneman took part in a joint mission to Rwanda with Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS; Sir Suma Chakrabarti, Permanent Secretary for the United Kingdom Department for International Development and Mr. Jean-Louis Schiltz, Minister for Development and Humanitarian Action for Luxembourg.  The mission found that Rwanda is making good progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but much remains to be done.

In addition to meeting with government officials, partners, the UN country team, and UNICEF and UNAIDS staff, the mission visited the Central Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda.  Later they assisted in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Rwanda’s First Lady to inaugurate a new wing of the Kacyiru heath centre in Kigali, Rwanda.

HIV/AIDS continued to be the focus of the final leg of the trip to Tanzania.  There, the two Executive Directors were joined by Princess Mathilde of Belgium.  They met with the President and First Lady, other government officials, the donor community, children orphaned by AIDS, and people living with HIV. The group visited community-based programmes that provide care and support to children and young people living with HIV, as well as prevention services, including HIV testing and counselling.

The joint mission examined how the prevailing drought situation could negatively impact people living with HIV and people receiving antiretroviral treatment. Lack of food and good nutrition impacts the immune system and undermines effectiveness of treatment.

Planning is already underway for her next mission to Africa as part of a joint mission with the Executive Director of the World Food Programme and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.  Her very busy schedule will include several public appearances over the coming weeks, including an International Women’s Day speech on March 8 in Washington D.C.

 

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