OREANDA-NEWS. January 28, 2009. The UNICEF Office in Turkmenistan conducted the second working meeting with the national partners – the ministries and departments, public organisations and public sector actively involved in the UNICEF joint projects in Turkmenistan. The representatives of the UN agencies and the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia attended the meeting held in the conference hall of the President Hotel.

The participants considered the Draft 2010-2014 Country Programme aimed at providing assistance in implementing the President’s programme of reforms in the social sector to achieve consistent and sustainable realization of the rights of children and women in compliance with the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, the Millennium Development Goals and the World Fit for Children Declaration and Action Plan. Thus, three major trends in future partnership were considered including propagation of social policy and the rights of children through conducting trainings and joint activity with the Parliament, ministries and departments to upgrade the national laws and to implement the provisions of the international documents on the rights of children joined by Turkmenistan in the national legislation.

The second trend sought to enhance the systems at the national and local levels. In particular, it concerns setting the standards in healthcare, education, financing and social protection with the focus on gender equality and information and educational activities. The third trend – the operational costs including the trainings for parents on the behavior in emergency situations

Speaking at the forum the representatives of the international organisations noted that the Turkmen partners demonstrated a serious and responsible approach to creating the optimally favourable conditions of the life and integrated development of children and youth. The key trends in the policy of progressive reforms initiated by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and welcomed by the world community included improving the healthcare and education systems with the particular concern for maternity and child health. All these aspects were the priorities of national development that closely interrelated with achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The representatives of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture and TV and Radio Broadcasting, the Ministry of Finance, the State Committee for Statistics, the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan, the Institute of Strategic Planning and other departments presented the comments on the 2010-2014 Country Programme in declarative form. It was noted that Turkmenistan stood steadfast to its international commitments to improve maternal and child health. The specific steps and consistent measures were taken in the country including the improvement and development of the legal framework, implementation of the national programmes, construction of educational establishments, medical and health-improving centres, sports facilities, schools of art, etc. The participants presented the recommendations and amendments to the Draft 2010-2014 Country Programme which would be incorporated in the final document which would be submitted to the UNICEF Executive Board for further revision and preparation of the memorandum of partnership between the UN Children’s Fund and Turkmenistan for the period from 2010 till 2014.