Education Is the Right of Every Child – UNICEF

Education is the right of every child, Mr Fiachra McAsey, Acting Representative United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Ghana, has said.

He said children must be given the opportunity to go school and learn, thereby allowing them to realise their right to education.

Mr McAsey said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Monday on the side-lines of the launch of the UN Sustainable Development Partnership (UNSDP) with Ghana in Accra.

The UNSDP, which was launched by Professor George Gyan-Baffour, the Planning Minister, is a five-year partnership framework, which outlines the UN’s support to national development efforts.

It sets out the collective support of the 24 UN Agencies working in Ghana.

It would be recalled that the UNDP agreement was signed in June this year was signed jointly by Prof Gyan-Baffour and Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister on behalf of Ghana, and by Dr Christine Evans-Klock, UN Resident Coordinator, and representatives of the 24 resident and non-resident UN Agencies comprising the UN Country Team in Ghana.

Mr McAsey said UNICEF wants to see the transition of children especially, the girl-child from basic to senior high schools.

He said UNICEF was working with other UN sister agencies in the country to ensure the successful implementation of the UNSDP.

He said UNICEF works with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on joint programmes around sexual reproductive health and access by young people and the youth to use friendly health schemes.

“This is a multi-piece of work that we do together with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health service; and we have other joint programmes in other sectors too,” he said.

He said the UNSDP would bring synergy into the operations of all the UN agencies in the country.

He said as Ghana accelerates towards the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNICEF wants to see a reduction in infant and maternal mortalities in the country.

Source: GNA