Assistance to Palestinian women and children – UNICEF 2005 annual session – UNICEF Executive Board report

Report of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund on the work of its 2005 annual session

    (6-10 June 2005)* 

*   The present document is an advance version of the report of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund on its annual session (6-10 June 2005). The report on the first regular session (17-21 January 2005) was issued as part I, and the report on the second regular session (28-30 September 2005) will be combined with parts I and II and issued in final form as Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2005, Supplement No. 14 (E/2005/34/Rev.1-E/ICEF/2005/5/Rev.1).

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 II.  Deliberations of the Executive Board

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 C.   Proposals for UNICEF programme cooperation

    Draft country programme documents (CPDs)

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   Middle East and North Africa

69.   The Executive Board had before it the draft area programme document (APD) for Palestinian children and women in Jordan, Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Syrian Arab Republic (E/ICEF/2005/P/L.20), which was introduced by the Regional Director.

70.   A number of delegates commended UNICEF for increasing cooperation with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and reaffirmed support for the work of UNICEF in the region, particularly in ECD and psychosocial health programmes.

71.   On the draft APD, it was suggested that: (a) additional resources be given to the Occupied Palestinian Territory and neighbouring countries; (b) the document clarify that the major partner of UNICEF in working with Palestinian refugees in the Syrian Arab Republic is the General Administration for Palestine Arab Refugees and note the achievements of this partnership; (c) the adult HIV prevalence rate in Palestinian refugee camps in that country be verified and the source noted, and emphasis should be given to playgrounds and environmental sanitation in the camps; (d) the document include more disaggregated data, especially on girls’ education, as well as more gender analysis; (e) the importance of the universality of human rights, irrespective of ethnicity, emphasized; and (f) efforts for the protection and health of young children and adolescents be strengthened.

72.   Speakers also requested information on: (a) the impact of microcredit schemes on the household income of women living in camps in Lebanon; (b) the United Nations common desk assessment of the West Bank and Gaza; (c) modalities to further strengthen programme planning and monitoring, especially in light of lessons learned from the 2004-2005 area programme; (d) means to obtain better data from national and subnational information systems; (e) ways to enhance the capacity of line ministries to incorporate a child rights approach into policy development, especially regarding sector-wide and sector-investment programmes; and (f) the availability of figures on income for refugees, separated from figures on gross national income per capita.

73.   The Regional Director praised the Medium-Term Development Plan devised by the Ministry of Planning of the Palestinian Authority as a framework for progress. Few funds were available to UNICEF in the neighbouring countries for Palestinian refugee programmes. There were sensitivities and difficulties involved in obtaining income figures for refugees but it would be possible to consult UNRWA, which has published such figures in two countries.

74.   See chapter III, decision 2005/4 for the decision adopted by the Board on the draft CPDs.

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