UNICEF in Turkmenistan

UNICEF in Turkmenistan

 

UNICEF in Turkmenistan

UNICEF has been involved in Turkmenistan since 1992 and remains committed to working with the government to ensure that every child gets the best start in life.

UNICEF activities are guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Turkmenistan is united with UNICEF and the international community in embracing the principles embodied in the Convention, which establish that all children have the fundamental and inherent right to develop to his or her full potential.  Turkmenistan society cherishes the child and the family, both repositories of Turkmen traditions and culture.  In short, children are the future of Turkmenistan. With roughly a third of the population of approximately six million currently under the age of 18, the country faces many challenges in fulfilling the needs and aspirations of such a large emerging generation.

The country’s oil and gas reserves have brought steep economic growth in the last few years yet benefits are unevenly distributed among the population.  To assist the government of Turkmenistan in translating these economic successes into concrete advances for children, UNICEF advocates to encourage the government to significantly increase its investment in areas of children’s health, education, social protection and child rights.

The eight Millennium Development Goals, to be achieved by 2015, provide the specific framework in which UNICEF operates in Turkmenistan. The current country programme of cooperation with the Government, which began in January 2005, focuses on introducing a human rights-based approach to development in rural areas where around 80 percent of Turkmenistan’s people live.  Collaboration with provincial authorities is a key.

As we move into our second decade of cooperation with the authorities, UNICEF’s commitment can be judged by its impact. UNICEF is now the largest UN organization in terms of budget and extent of collaboration with government agencies and international donors.  Over the past 10 years, UNICEF has made signal contributions in the areas having a direct bearing on the well-being of Turkmenistan’s children.  But needs and challenges remain.  

UNICEF in Turkmenistan is committed to improving the conditions necessary for the betterment of children’s lives.  The challenges are too great to solve alone.  Partnerships are essential, and that is why successful development work in Turkmenistan hinges on collaboration with the Government, with other aid agencies including sister UN organizations, with public associations and with formal and non-formal groups.   Because the wider the support, the better the results.