UNICEF in action
UNICEF’s overall approach is to create a protective environment, where girls and boys are free from violence, exploitation, and unnecessary separation from family; where laws services, behaviour and practices minimize children's vulnerability, address known risk factors and strengthen children's own role as actors and agents of change. This is accomplished through various strategies and partnerships with governments, communities, non-governmental and religious organizations, professional associations, children, youth and the media. [To learn more about UNICEF’s work in child protection click www.unicef.org/protection.] Around the region, significant groundwork has been conducted to encourage legislative and policy reform through consultations with key partners in governments and NGOs. UNICEF has also worked with partners in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to develop protective services for children that have ensured psycho-social support, family tracing and reunification, distribution of non-food items including warm clothes in cyclone, floods or conflict affected areas. Activities against trafficking of children have been supported in order to strengthen mechanisms for the rescue, recovery, repatriation and integration of trafficked children victims between Bangladesh and India. At the regional level, UNICEF has continued to play a leading role with South Asia Coordinating Group on Violence against Children and has provided support to South Asia Forum in the preparation of the World Congress III against the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents which brought over 100 participants and resulted in specific recommendations. UNICEF regional office has also continued to raise other issues, such as birth registration and child marriage. Capacity building in relation to juvenile justice has received significant attention around the region. In Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan, progress has been made in strengthening the capacity of legal service providers, notably the magistrates, police, probation officers as well as social workers. UNICEF involvement in this area led to encouraging results, including provision of legal aid to children and release of children into family care. The situation of children associated with armed groups and armed forces and children affected by armed conflict has been a continuing challenge. But on going advocacy and communication by UNICEF and other actors have been translated into action, such as the reintegration of child soldiers into their families and communities through schooling, educational projects, psychosocial support, and vocational training. On 4 December 2008, The Government of Sri Lanka, the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) and UNICEF signed an Action Plan to ensure that the recruitment and use of children by the TMVP comes to an end, and that all children currently with the TMVP are released and provided with reintegration assistance.
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