Republic of Korea and UNICEF provide a vehicle to strengthen child protection services in Attapeu Province, Lao PDR
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Vientiane, Lao PDR, 14 August 2020 – UNICEF Lao PDR and the Government of the Republic of Korea today handed over a vehicle to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare for the regular monitoring and provision of child protection services to children in Attapeu Province, Lao PDR.
The vehicle was procured as part of the “Improving the Lives of Children in Attapeu Province through Better Child Care and Protection Systems” Programme funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea. The vehicle will be used by the Attapeu Provincial and Sanamxay District Office of Labour and Social Welfare Office to conduct regular monitoring of child protection activities and support timely referrals to children and women of the province.
Started in December 2018, the “Improving the Lives of Children in Disaster Affected Areas of Attapeu Province through Better Child Care and Protection Systems” Programme supported the protection and care of 58 children without parental care and capacity building of 108 provincial, district and village level social service workforce in Attapeu Province on child rights, case management and social work.
The Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Dr. Khampheng Saysompheng received the vehicle at the handover ceremony. “This support of the vehicle is timely, significant and well-appreciated. Regular monitoring will enable the Provincial Office and District Office of Labour and Social Welfare to identify vulnerable women and children in the hard-to-reach areas, provide timely social supports and ensure a close follow-up for their well-being,” said Dr. Saysompheng.
In response, Dr. Shin Sung-Soon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Lao DPR said “With this contribution, together with the Government of Lao PDR and UNICEF, the Government and the people of the Republic of Korea believe that essential and lifesaving child protection services can be available, closer to people in need of protection services in Attapeu Province.”
The official handover of the vehicle comes at a time when UNICEF and the Government of Lao PDR are implementing a mid-term emergency recovery and system strengthening programme in Attapeu Province. “UNICEF has been one of the first and main partners of the Government of Lao PDR to address the psychosocial needs of vulnerable children since the onset of the emergency. With generous support from the Government of Korea, UNICEF was able to support child protection system strengthening in Attapeu to address the child protection issues with a sustainable approach.” said Dr. Pia Britto, Representative of UNICEF Lao PDR. “To support long-term development in Attapeu Province and to strengthen the system, UNICEF will continue to accompany the Government to develop quality social service workforce at the sub-national level and ensure they are equipped with knowledge and tools to provide lifesaving social work,” she added.
The Government of Lao PDR pays special attention to strengthening the child protection systems to support communities, including children, families and other caregivers by forging strong partnerships between the Government, the UN, civil society organizations, development partners and the private sector to protect children, especially the most vulnerable, and to create developmental opportunities and promote child well-being. The government is continuously making efforts to realize the rights of every child in Lao PDR in line with the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) ratified in 1991, Global Pledge on CRC@30 which Lao PDR endorsed in 2019 and the Lao Generation 2030 National Pledge signed in 2019.
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