The Nepal government and the UNICEF Monday signed the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) which will run through 2013 to 2017.
UNICEF country representative Hanaa Singer and Finance Ministry joint secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini signed on the document that outlines programmes that will be implemented according to the Basic Cooperation Agreement between the Government and UNICEF of 1996. This is the 4th CPAP between the government and UNICEF since 1996.
The overall goal of UNICEF’s country programme is to directly address the policy, system, and societal factors that influence equitable access to education, health care, nutrition, sanitation, clean water, protection and information for women, adolescents and children, UNICEF said in a statement.
It will do so by focusing on 15 low performing districts (10 in the mid and far western hills, 4 in the central terai and 1 in eastern terai), helping the government to narrow the gap between the have and have nots, and by developing and refining legislation and multi-sector policies at national level.
The US$ 144 million CPAP will cover areas such as governance, policy, planning and evaluation, health, nutrition, HIV AIDS, education, child protection; water, sanitation hygiene; and a new programme on Adolescent Development and Participation.