According to Afshan Khan, regional director for Europe and Central Asia, the establishment of the UNICEF Office in Greece marks a new chapter in its cooperation with the country, which dates back to 1946.
According to an announcement by UNICEF, its office in Greece will work with ministries, children’s rights organizations, the private sector, academia, the media and the general public with the aim of achieving common results and raising public awareness on issues related to children’s rights.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis assured the representative of the organization’s Greek office, Luciano Calestini, that the government will closely collaborate with the new permanent office on a national policy plan for children’s protection and welfare.
Note that the Greek Ekhaterimini platform lists that news item under 'Charity', while the UNICEF original press release [https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-announces-launch-country-office-greece-world-childrens-day] clearly places children's rights in the center, with 30 child rights experts already in place. Well done. To satisfy public perception about what UNICEF is and does for Greek children, and the need to advocate for the rights of children of asylum seekers, will be a balancing act. Perhaps the next place to open a permanent office with a country representative will be the United States, so the US will finally move to ratify the CRC.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see that UNICEF has now opened offices in both Greece and Italy. In both cases the impetus seems to have come from the influx of migrant and refugee children. I hope our members in those countries can link up with the offices and give us a better picture of their work - and of ways in which we former staff might help.
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