About us
Get to know UNICEF Jamaica
Country Programme 2022 to 2026
UNICEF’s mandate is to support the Government in meeting its commitment to fulfill the rights of Jamaican children – as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child – and in achieving national goals for development under Vision 2030.
UNICEF does this by working with a wide range of government and non-governmental partners to improve the quality and accessibility of essential services for children, the design of policies and laws intended to protect children’s rights, and the use of research and data that serves children.
Every five years, UNICEF and the Government of Jamaica enter a programme of cooperation based on a thorough situation analysis of the major issues affecting children and their families.
Focusing our attention on children in vulnerable situations, we have five priority areas in the Jamaica country programme document (2022 to 2026):
1. Child protection
2. Climate action and resilience
3. Education
4. Social policy
5. Survive and thrive
Everything we do is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Jamaica ratified in 1991. Informed by Vision 2030 Jamaica, our work contributes to the nation’s development priorities, which are also outlined in the:
• 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the 2030 Agenda) and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Regional goals of the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework (UNMSDCF) and
• UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-2025.
Meet our Country Representative
Mr. Osama Makkawi Khogali has been appointed UNICEF Area Representative for the Caribbean, bringing more than 30 years of international experience in humanitarian response and development.
Throughout his career, Mr. Khogali has worked across diverse development and humanitarian contexts, building partnerships and leading programmes to advance outcomes for children. His experience spans programme design and management, emergency response, fundraising and partnership building with governments, local authorities, UN agencies, NGOs and the donor community. He brings a broad international perspective and extensive experience working in complex and rapidly changing environments.
Prior to his appointment as UNICEF Area Representative for the Caribbean Mr. Khogali served as Representative in Ghana (2023–2026), Tajikistan (2020–2023), Montenegro (2017–2020) and Oman (2013–2017). His previous assignments include Deputy Representative for UNICEF Iraq (2009–2013), Regional Emergency Specialist with the UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office (2006–2009), and Principal Emergency Coordinator for UNICEF Pakistan (2005–2006), following several positions with the Pakistan Country Office between 2001 and 2005.
A Sudanese national, Mr. Khogali began his UNICEF career in Sudan in 1992 and served in various capacities until 1998. From 1998 to 2001, he served as Development and Aid Advisor with the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Sudan, adding experience in development cooperation and international partnerships to his professional background.
Mr. Khogali holds a Master’s degree in Economics from MS University of Baroda, India, and a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from the University of Udaipur, India.
Meet our National Ambassador
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the National Ambassador for UNICEF Jamaica
One of the nation’s most accomplished athletes and a passionate defender of children’s rights, Mrs. Fraser-Pryce was appointed the first national National Ambassador for UNICEF Jamaica in 2010.
In accepting the appointment, Mrs. Fraser-Pryce said, “Growing up, I had dreams that I thought were out of my reach, dreams of going to the Olympics and to University. Through my work with UNICEF, I want to help Jamaican children realize their dreams. I want to help them understand that they have rights and that those rights should be protected. I want them to believe that nothing is impossible.”
Known as the ‘Pocket Rocket’, she holds a degree in Child and Adolescent Development from the University of Technology (UTech), was awarded The Order of Distinction (OD), for outstanding and important services to Jamaica, and operates her own charitable foundation, the ‘Pocket Rocket Foundation’.
