Alexander Subbotin held a meeting with the UNICEF Representative in Belarus Rustam Khaydarov
Issues of expanding cooperation between the Vitebsk region and UNICEF were discussed at a meeting between the Permanent Representative of this international organization, Rustam Khaydarov, and the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin.
The head of the region noted that the Vitebsk region holds a leading position in the country in terms of the number of projects implemented with UNICEF in various fields.
– I am convinced that our cooperation will continue, we are open to joint actions for the benefit of children. This is a necessary and correct direction, a good deed, – emphasized Alexander Subbotin.
For his part, Rustam Khaydarov explained that traditionally at the end of the outgoing or the beginning of the new year, the results of work are summarized with the regional leadership, and priorities for interaction in the interests of children are determined.
– Over the past three years, we have invested about 460 thousand dollars in projects of various scopes. Among them is "A Family for Every Child," which is aimed at removing children from institutional care, creating early intervention centers, and child-friendly cities. Significant work is being done in these areas. We also support programs for children with disabilities and the opening of inclusive playgrounds in the Vitebsk region. We pay special attention to refugee children and migrant children. On the basis of Vitebsk Secondary School No. 19, we opened a city resource center for the education, adaptation, and socialization of this category of students, where specialists can receive advisory assistance on how to work with such children and ensure their right to education, – said the UNICEF representative.
The purpose of the current meeting between Rustam Khaydarov and the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee is to discuss plans for the coming year and the new five-year period. The UN Children's Fund, as noted by the representative of the international organization, is ready to scale up the "A Family for Every Child" program, which is currently being implemented in 10 districts, and would like it to cover all regions of the Vitebsk region. So that, as far as possible, all children are raised in families, either their own, foster, or guardianship families.