UNICEF South Africa and the Financial and Fiscal Commission commit to strengthening investment in children

Cape Town, 3 June 2026: The Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) South Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with a focus on advancing the rights and well-being of children.

The agreement formalises a strategic partnership between the two institutions, bringing together UNICEF’s global expertise in child rights and development with the FFC’s constitutional mandate to provide evidence-based fiscal and policy recommendations to the Government of South Africa.

The MOU highlights cooperation in key priority areas, including early childhood development and foundational learning, youth unemployment, decentralised budgeting and service delivery, and the prevention of violence against children.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr Patience Nombeko Mbava, Chairperson of the Financial and Fiscal Commission, highlighted the importance of evidence-based policymaking: 

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that public resources are allocated and used effectively to improve outcomes for children. Through this collaboration, we aim to strengthen the evidence base that informs policy decisions impacting the most vulnerable in our society.”

Mr Johannes Wedenig, UNICEF South Africa Representative, underscored the value of this partnership: 

“UNICEF is pleased to partner with the Financial and Fiscal Commission to advance children’s rights in South Africa. By combining our joint expertise, we can accelerate progress towards investing efficiently, effectively, and equitably in children, so that every child in this country reaches their full potential.”

Under the MOU, the two organisations will collaborate on a range of areas, including-

• Prioritising public finance for children.
• Strengthening decentralized planning and budgeting to improve child-focused service delivery at National. Provincial and Local levels.
• Joint research and evidence generation on child-focused policies and programmes.
• Convening dialogues, seminars, and policy discussions.
• Sharing data, knowledge, and technical expertise.

The partnership reflects both organisations’ commitment toward promoting good governance and strengthening social policy to ensure that children’s needs remain central in fiscal planning and service delivery.

Note to editors:

About the Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC)
The Financial and Fiscal Commission is an independent constitutional institution mandated to make recommendations to Parliament and provincial legislatures on financial and fiscal matters, with a focus on equitable and efficient resource allocation.