UNHCR and UNICEF Train Belize Social Workers to Strengthen Child Protection

BELIZE CITY, 25 August 2026  – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and UNICEF are conducting a Best Interest Procedure Training for social workers in Belize to strengthen child protection systems and enhance support for vulnerable children, including forcibly displaced children.

The training brings together social workers and child protection professionals from across the country to build knowledge and practical skills in applying the Best Interest Procedure, a child-centered process that guides decisions affecting children's safety, well-being, rights, and development.

The Best Interest Procedure is a key protection tool for assessing and addressing complex cases involving children facing risks such as violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, family separation, or displacement. Through interactive sessions, case studies, and practical exercises, participants strengthen their ability to conduct assessments, develop protection responses, and identify solutions centered on each child’s best interests.

The training builds on ongoing collaboration between UNHCR, UNICEF, and the Department of Human Services of the Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs to improve child protection mechanisms and equip frontline professionals with the tools needed to deliver quality services to children and families.

"Effective child protection depends on skilled professionals who can assess risks and make decisions that prioritize the rights and well-being of children," said Mariya Voloshkevich, Officer-in-Charge for UNHCR in Belize. "This training is an important investment in Belize's child protection system. By building these competencies and strengthening national capacity, we are helping ensure that vulnerable children, including those who have been forcibly displaced, receive consistent, high-quality protection and care."

Sajid Ali, Representative of UNICEF Belize, emphasized the importance of strengthening child protection systems to safeguard children's rights: "Every child has the right to protection, care, and support, regardless of their circumstances. Strengthening the capacity of social workers is essential to ensuring that decisions affecting children are informed, timely, and centered on their best interests. UNICEF is proud to partner with UNHCR and national stakeholders to support efforts that promote better outcomes for children across Belize."

Shawn Vargas, Director of the Department of Human Services, highlighted the importance of ensuring that children's rights remain at the center of all protection decisions: "A particularly sensitive aspect of the Best Interest Procedure concerns separation, family unity, and custody. Children have a fundamental right to family life and, wherever safe and appropriate, should remain with or maintain meaningful contact with their families. Separation must never be treated as the first or easiest response. Any recommendation for separation must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate, and must consider the immediate and long-term effects on the child."

UNHCR and UNICEF remain committed to working with the Department of Human Services of the Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs and other partners to promote effective child protection systems and advance the rights and well-being of every child in Belize.