Partnerships

The EU-UNICEF Partnership

The European Union and UNICEF have joined forces to strengthen their work to secure the highest possible quality of life for children over the world. Both organizations share a mandate to work with national governments on advancing human rights, with special attention to the rights of all the world’s children. The EU and UNICEF are working towards all children having access to and enjoying the right to education, adequate nutrition, safe water and sanitation and health. Other priorities include protection from discrimination, exploitation, violence and abuse.

In Sri Lanka, the EU and UNICEF have implemented a three year project (started Sep 2009 and ended in Aug 2012) in the Eastern Province under the "Assistance to Conflict affected People" (EU-ACAP) Programme".

• Through this programme, the EU funded the following activities: 
• Construction of 18 schools
• Construction and refurbishment of six primary health care centres, two pediatric and post-natal wards, one Office for the Medical Officer of Health, one doctors’ quarters and one central dispensary.
• Construction of 1,000 household toilets, 250 household dug wells, 370 water supply points, 60 deep boreholes with hand pumps, water and sanitation facilities for 42 schools and 16 rural health centers, one sewage treatment plant and 5 small-scale water supply schemes.
• Community mobilisation sessions, hygiene promotion, orientation on mother and child health care.
• Training of teachers on Child Friendly Approach, training of health workers on maternal and newborn care, nutrition and obstetric care.

EU has further funded UNICEF to implement a second project targeting both the Northern and Eastern Provinces under the "Support to Socio Economic Measures in North & East Sri Lanka" (EU-SEM) programme. The project started in January 2012 and is expected to be completed in June 2012.

Through this programme, the EU is funding the following activities:

• Support to School Development Assessments and Planning including minor renovations of 50 schools.
• Re/construction and equipment of nine health centres.
• Re/construction of 200 household dug wells, drilling of 40 tube wells with installation of hand pumps, construction of 10 protected common wells, 450 latrines and two rainwater harvesting systems, re/construction WASH facilities in 10 schools and seven health centres.
• Provision of cash/self-employment grants to 555 families to improve their income generation activities and provision of vocational training and skills development for 1,300 youth.
• Organisation of community mobilisation sessions, hygiene promotion, orientation on mother and child health care through the formation and training of 200 mothers’ support groups.
• Training of In-Service Advisors, teachers and caregivers in improving and assessing literacy, development of material, training of health workers on maternal and newborn care, nutrition and obstetric care, training of Social and Child Protection officers to improve their service delivery and training of Vocational training institutions to better target and deliver trainings.

The European Union opened a Delegation Office in Colombo in 1995.　
The co-operation between the European Union and Sri Lanka covers a number of key areas:　

• Diversification of trade and investment　
• Networking between EU and Sri Lankan business communities　
• Strengthening technical, economic and cultural linkages, providing technical assistance to Sri Lanka to interact more effectively with the European Union
• Supporting Sri Lanka's efforts in improving the living conditions of the poorer sections of the population　
• Environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources