中國政府與聯合國兒童基金會簽定五年國別合作計劃
聯合國兒童基金會（UNICEF）和中國政府日前在北京簽署了新一輪為期五年的《中國政府/聯合國兒童基金會合作方案行動綱領（2011-2015年）》，旨在進一步改善中國兒童和婦女的狀況。該計劃的執行期限將持續到2015年，投入近8億7100萬元人民幣用于為中國最需要幫助的兒童和婦女提供援助，縮小差距以及倡導平等權益等方面。
合作計劃由商務部部長助理俞建華先生代表中國政府與聯合國兒童基金會駐華代表魏英瑛博士于2011年2月23日共同簽署。
該計劃將重點關注弱勢群體，包括農村流動兒童和留守兒童、少數民族兒童、生活在貧困邊遠地區的兒童等等，為他們努力爭取平等均衡的發展機會。商務部負責全面協調聯合國兒童基金會在中國項目的實施。
俞建華部長助理在簽署《中國政府/聯合國兒童基金會合作方案行動綱領（2011-2015年）》文本時表示：聯合國兒童基金會是世界兒童福祉的倡導者，是兒童權益的守護者，是我們十分珍視的老朋友。中國政府贊賞30年來聯合國兒童基金會對中國兒童的發展事業所做的重要貢獻，愿通過新的合作方案繼續加強并深化雙方的合作關系。
聯合國兒童基金會駐華代表魏英瑛博士表示：“我很榮幸和中國政府簽署這份合作計劃。在商務部的協調下，通過合作項目，我們幫助中國政府在保護兒童權益等方面取得了驕人的成績，例如大規模免疫接種、顯著降低母嬰死亡率，以及最近建立的中國綜合兒童福利體系和受艾滋病影響兒童的保護等。”
新的合作方案旨在改善兒童健康營養和兒童接受基本教育服務的狀況以及保護婦女兒童免受艾滋病感染的侵害。進一步強化有關政策制定及執行機制，完善基于社區的兒童服務體系以及提升飲用水品質和環境衛生服務。
聯合國兒童基金會將繼續致力于在中國最貧困地區開展試點項目以探索模式，積累經驗。創新性的工作模式和成功經驗會被納入國家政策和項目之中，惠及全中國的兒童。
盡管目前中國正穩步推進千年發展計劃（MDGs）至2015年，在貧困的鄉村仍有為數眾多的婦女和兒童無法獲得應有的幫助和服務。
在過去的30年間，中國經濟經歷了前所未有的快速增長，但經濟發展仍不均衡。收入的城鄉差別、地域差別在逐漸增大。估計在中國仍有超過一億兒童的日均生活費用在兩美元以下。官方統計顯示中國最貧困地區的健康水平仍然與低收入國家近似。中國在五歲以下兒童死亡的絕對數字仍然排在世界前五位。
該合作方案行動綱領的簽署是魏英瑛博士任期內重要成就之一。緬甸籍的魏英瑛博士自2006年起擔任聯合國兒童基金會駐華代表，并于本月底正式退休，離開了她摯愛的聯合國兒童基金會。此前，她曾經負責督導該組織在西非、中東、東歐、東亞及太平洋地區的項目監督和實施等工作。
Government of China and UNICEF sign Five-Year Cooperation Plan
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Government of China signed a new five-year “Country Programme Action Plan” to improve the situation of children and women in China. The plan, which runs through 2015, will mobilize nearly RMB871 million to reduce disparities and promote equity for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and women.
The plan was signed by Assistant Minister Mr. Yu Jianhua of the Ministry of Commerce on behalf of the Government of China and Dr. Yin Yin Nwe, UNICEF Representative in China in February 23, 2011.
The plan will focus on vulnerable groups, including migrant children and children left behind in rural areas; ethnic minorities; children living in poor, rural and remote communities and others, in an effort to promote equitable and balanced development. The Ministry of Commerce is responsible for overall coordination of UNICEF's programmes in China.
"UNICEF is an advocate for children's welfare, a protector of children's rights and interests and a cherished old friend of China," said Mr. Yu Jianhua, Assistant Minister of Commerce. "The Chinese government appreciates the important contribution made by UNIECF over the past 30 years to the development of Chinese Children. China would like to further enhance and deepen cooperation with UNICEF through the new Programme of Cooperation."
"I am delighted to sign this new five-year action plan with the Government of China," said Dr. Yin Yin Nwe, UNICEF China Representative. "Under the coordination of the Ministry of Commerce, our joint programme has supported many of China's notable milestones for children, including expanded immunization, dramatic reduction of child and maternal mortality and more recently, development of China's comprehensive child welfare system as well as important gains for children affected by HIV-AIDS."
The new programme aims to improve the health and nutrition status of children, increase access to quality basic education services, protect women and children from the spread of HIV-AIDS, strengthen social policies and implementation mechanisms, improve access to community-based child protection services and upgrade drinking water quality and sanitation services.
UNICEF will continue to focus much of its support on introducing pilot projects in the poorest communities in China with a view to adapting approaches and documenting best practices. Experiences gained from innovative models and approaches will be scaled up by the Government of China as national programmes and policies to reach a very large cross-section of China's children.
Though China is well on track to achieve the overall Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the absolute number of under-served children and women, mostly in poor rural areas, remains quite large.
Over the past 30 years, China has experienced unprecedented rates of economic growth, but development has been uneven. Income disparities between rural and urban residents and among different regions of the country have been rising, and it is estimated that more than 100 million Chinese children are still living on less than two dollars per day. Official statistics also show that the health outcomes in the poorest communities are similar to those in low-income countries. China is still among the top five countries in the world in terms of the absolute number of child deaths under the age of five.
The signing of the action plan is one of the last significant accomplishments of Dr. Yin Yin Nwe's tenure as UNICEF Representative in China. Dr Nwe, a native of Myanmar, began her term in China in late 2006. She will retire from UNICEF service at the end of the month following a long and distinguished career which included leadership roles in programme monitoring and implementation in West Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and East Asia and the Pacific.
(China.org.cn March 2, 2011)
