Country programme and prioritiesUNICEF in Romania is currently implementing a country programme with the government, national civil society and international organizations over a five-year period from 2005 to 2009. The focus of this country programme (year 2007) is on Child Rights Monitoring, Child Protection, Health and Education. For further information about the UNICEF County Programme, please follow the link: 2005 - 2009 Country Programme UNICEF strategic interventions beyond 2007 The unfinished agenda including the remaining gaps in the national capacities for children’s rights constitutes the basis for UNICEF’s niche for the 2008-2009 period as well as for the future years. The emerging role of UNICEF’s presence in Romania is perceived by all partners as an important complement to Romania’s commitments for children based on EU implementation instruments such as the Joint Inclusion Memorandum (JIM) and as a support to EU monitoring mechanisms such as the the Open Method of Coordination (OMC). The OMC is a relatively new and intergovernmental means of governance in the EU, based on the voluntary cooperation of its member states. UNICEF may primarily contribute through child rights monitoring, advocacy for children’s rights as well as through building partnerships for children. UNICEF has capitalized on its experience in Romania over the last seventeen years and may leverage on the image developed among partners and the public at large: UNICEF’s normative role as a watchdog for children rights, an advocate for child rights realization and a convener of partners around cross-cutting, integrated approaches to child issues. Strategic results by 2009 Strategic results to be achieved by the end of 2009 will include the establishment of a monitoring system for child rights which will be influencing policy at the national and sub-national levels. In addition, the most vulnerable and marginalized children, young people and women will enjoy an improved and sustainable protective environment. This means increased access to quality social protection services, as well as access to services meant to improve their health and nutritional status. All young people will be able to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS infection and children already infected by HIV will have access to appropriate care and support. Children from vulnerable families and groups will have improved access to quality and inclusive education, leading to increased completion rates for compulsory schooling. There will be increased participation of civil society on issues affecting children and improved capacity of young people to influence decisions that affect their lives.
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