AYV News May 24, 2023
Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Francis Kai-Kai, has hosted the new UNICEF Representative to Sierra Leone, Mr. Rudolf Schwenk, at his office at Tower Hill in Freetown.
Minister Kai-Kai expressed his gratitude to UNICEF as a trusted partner for their support and highlighted the value of the achievements made through the partnership between the Government and UNICEF.
He emphasised the importance of their support in ensuring the well-being of the country’s children and expressed the Government’s commitment to strengthening the partnership for the benefit of every child in the country.
The UNICEF Representative, Rudolf Schwenk, stated that UNICEF would continue to work closely with the Government of Sierra Leone and all partners on the implementation of the National Plan, striving together to ensure the realization of the rights of all children.
Mr. Schwenk, who has over 20 years of experience in international development, with a focus on child protection, education, and health, took over from the previous UNICEF Representative, Dr. Suleiman Braimoh, in Sierra Leone.
Previously, he served as the UNICEF Representative in Malawi, where he led efforts to improve access to quality health and education services for children and adolescents, as well as strengthen child protection systems.
During the visit, they discussed the key achievements in implementing the government’s Medium Term National Development Plan (MTNDP 2019-2023), particularly in the areas of child protection and wellbeing.
They also discussed support for the popularization and decentralisation of ownership of the MTNDP, the pilot of the District Development Coordination Committee, the Development Cooperation Framework, and future areas of cooperation.
The Minister and the UNICEF Representative also shared information on the National and Local Voluntary Reviews on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The meeting was attended by the Development Secretary, Deputy Development Secretary I, Director-DACO, Director-NGO Affairs, and Asst. Director-PPR, among others.