ANNUAL SESSION OF UNICEF EXECUTIVE BOARD TO BE HELD AT HEADQUARTERS, 2 - 6 JUNE

30 May 1997

Press Release
ICEF/1841

ANNUAL SESSION OF UNICEF EXECUTIVE BOARD TO BE HELD AT HEADQUARTERS, 2 - 6 JUNE

19970530 Issues Include Global Trends Affecting Children, Future Directions for Africa, Children Needing Special Protection

NEW YORK, 30 May (UNICEF) -- The persistence of poverty, combined with a steady downward spiral in development assistance, continues to affect children and the work of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), its Executive Director Carol Bellamy will say, when the UNICEF Executive Board meets at Headquarters from 2 to 6 June for its annual session.

The Board will also have before it a report of its Executive Director which assesses the adverse effect of globalization and economic liberalization on poverty reduction, the declining rates of public expenditure on basic social services for the poor, growing urbanization, and women and children as victims of domestic violence.

In her report, the Executive Director notes the intensification of efforts directed at United Nations reform, reporting that UNICEF is actively engaged in that process. The overarching objective of reform activity within UNICEF remains the enhancement of capacity to further the well-being of children through effective and efficient programme delivery and global advocacy, she says.

During its current session, the Executive Board will also review a report on how to ensure children's rights to survival, development and protection in Africa. The report looks at the current socio-economic context in Africa, provides an overview of progress towards the World Summit for Children goals, and describes some future directions for UNICEF and its partners in Africa.

Report of Executive Director

The Executive Board will review global trends affecting children which are outlined in the report of the UNICEF Executive Director (document E/ICEF/1997/10 Part II). Those issues include the following:

-- Poverty and aid. Deepening poverty and declining development assistance directly affect children and the work of UNICEF. According to the latest World Bank statistics, about one third of the population in developing

countries continues to live in poverty. The combination of declining aid and rising poverty places greater demands on UNICEF to focus scarce resources on the countries in greatest need and on the most disadvantaged children.

-- Globalization, growth and equity. While recent economic policy changes have resulted in growth in investment, employment and competition, they have also increased the vulnerability of the poorest groups in society. The 1996 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) confirms that the world has become more polarized. The UNICEF report calls for monitoring the level and composition of public expenditure on social services as an important way of ensuring that poverty concerns are woven into macroeconomic management. -- Implementation of the 20/20 initiative. Within social sectors, more resources are being allocated to services that benefit the non-poor. The UNICEF is concerned about this trend. In 1996, it collaborated with the UNDP, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World Bank in particular, in an effort to assist governments and donors to improve monitoring and reporting of the resources allocated to basic social services.

-- Urbanization. If current trends persist, one half of the population in developing countries will live in urban centres by the year 2015. Today, a family can no longer expect that migrating to a city will necessarily improve living conditions. The UNICEF is developing an urban focus in programmes in order to reach the most vulnerable children in impoverished urban areas.

-- Partnerships with non-governmental organizations. Cooperation between governments and non-governmental organizations continues to increase. The UNICEF country offices will continue to facilitate this interaction, especially as more attention is focused on ensuring programme sustainability through capacity-building and the empowerment of local communities.

The Executive Director's report to the Board also elaborates programmatic challenges in supporting the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Those include:

-- The need to bridge the gap between the principles of human rights that States have agreed to uphold for women and children, and the violations of those same rights that cause preventable death and characterize the misery of daily life for millions of children and women worldwide;

-- The need for progress on complex problems such as under-five and maternal mortality, protection of the nutritional status of children, and the achievement of universal education; and

-- The need to bring national legislation in line with the principles of the Convention, in order to link law reform and enactment, and policy formulation, with operational activities on behalf of women and children.

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Children's Right to Survival, Protection and Development in Africa

The Board will also review a document on the priority concern for child survival, protection, and development in Africa (document E/ICEF/1997/15). It notes that significant political, economic and administrative developments in much of sub-Saharan Africa could improve the region's long-term prospects. In the short run, however, the picture is mixed. There are disturbing trends towards chronic instability and persistent conflict in large areas of the region, and too few social and economic benefits are reaching poor children and women. All indications are that the number of poor people will be increasing. The report calls on the international community to maintain its commitment to Africa.

The report also describes some future directions for UNICEF and its African partners:

-- The UNICEF will continue to advocate for, and help countries in Africa to implement, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, especially in four main areas: (a) primary health care and nutrition; (b) basic education, with an emphasis on girls; (c) water supply and environmental sanitation; and (d) the care and protection of the most vulnerable children and women.

-- The UNICEF will give priority to helping countries reach the goals of the World Summit for Children, with emphasis on: (a) reaching the poorest of the poor; (b) empowerment of adolescent girls through communication and basic education, the prevention of HIV/AIDS, and the promotion of life skills; and (c) protection from abusive child labour, enlistment in armed forces, violence, and sexual exploitation and abuse.

-- The UNICEF will nurture the commitment of governments through practical, informed advocacy, to help countries seek the involvement of other partners in the development of services.

-- The UNICEF will support training for the staff of local or municipal institutions on how to work in a participatory manner. It will also support the efforts of community-based organizations, to facilitate the full participation of civil society.

Children Needing Special Protection

The Executive Board will review a report that outlines a strategy for measures to protect children from exploitation, violence, abuse, abandonment, and other situations of disadvantage (document E/ICEF/1997/16). The strategy is a key component of the evolving child rights approach to programming. It focuses on the establishment of technical networks to support governments in addressing special protection issues. Specific steps now under way are highlighted, including the revision of guidelines and the strengthening of

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strategic partnerships with governments, United Nations agencies, non- governmental organizations, and other civil society organizations.

World Summit for Children

The Board will also consider the Executive Director's sixth annual progress report on follow-up to the World Summit for Children (document E/ICEF/1997/14). The first report since the formal review carried out at mid- decade, it states that striking progress has been made in the areas of immunization, control of diarrhoeal diseases, polio, dracunculiasis eradication, IDD control and the promotion of breast-feeding. However, while the Convention on the Rights of the Child has been ratified by almost every country in the world, a lot still remains to be done in the areas of child survival, education and nutrition. The report recommends sustaining progress made in the control of preventable diseases in the coming years, and intensifying efforts to narrow the gap in child development.

Allocation of General Resources

A modified system for the allocation of general resources (document E/ICEF/1997/P/L.17) will also be reviewed during the current session. It is based on the principles identified by the Board at its third regular session of 1996 and discussed at its second regular session of 1997. The modified system, as presented, will: (a) continue to be based on the existing core criteria; (b) give higher priority to the low-income countries, in particular the least developed countries; (c) be sufficiently flexible to accommodate evolving needs and special circumstances; (d) apply only to general resources; and (e) be transparent, simple and consistent.

Management Excellence

Also to be considered is a report on progress made in implementing proposals regarding management excellence (document E/ICEF/1997/CRP.15). Using the country programme as an illustration, the report presents the accountability system of UNICEF at different locations (country office, regional offices, headquarters programme group). A matrix provided in the report indicates the overall progress todate in implementing the recommendations made by the Booz-Allen and Hamilton study.

Greeting Card, Related Operations

The Board will review a financial report and statement for the year ended 30 April 1997 of the UNICEF Greeting Card and Related Operations (document E/ICEF/1997/AB/L.9). The report notes a record net contribution to UNICEF general resources income of $151.3 million and a sales volume of 158 million cards. It contains country-by-country performance data, and data

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on the net proceeds from private-sector fund raising. A 1997 work plan and a proposed budget are presented separately (document E/ICEF/1997/AB/L.8).

Information, Publications Policy

Another report before the Board outlines UNICEF's information and publications policy (document E/ICEF/1997/17). The report notes the distinct mandate of UNICEF, as well as ongoing collaboration on publications with other agencies. It highlights the role of the Joint United Nations Information Committee -- which is chaired by the Department of Public Information (DPI) -- in ensuring that duplication among agencies is avoided. It also provides information on new developments in the use of such information technology as the Internet.

Other Issues

The Board will also review reports on the following issues: the recommendations of the fifth meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)/UNICEF Joint Committee on Education (document E/ICEF/1997/18); the recommendations of the thirty-first session of the UNICEF/World Health Organization (WHO) Joint Committee on Health Policy (document E/ICEF/1997/19); and a field trip by Board members to Malawi and Zambia. It will also hear an oral report concerning the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa.

Membership, Officers

The President of the Executive Board is Mercedes Pulido de Briceño (Venezuela). Its four Vice-Presidents are: Dino Beti (Switzerland), Hazel de Wet (Namibia), Ngo Quang Xuan (Viet Nam), and Fikret Mamedali Pashayev (Azerbaijan).

The 36 members of the Executive Board for 1997, listed by regional grouping, are as follows: Africa -- Angola, Burundi, Cape Verde, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria and Uganda. Asia -- China, India, Indonesia, Oman, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam. Eastern Group -- Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Russian Federation and Ukraine. Latin America and the Caribbean -- Cuba, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Suriname and Venezuela. Western Europe and Other -- Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United States.

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