The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, (MoPED), Madam Kenyeh Barlay on Wednesday 28th August 2024 officially opened the Sierra Leone-UNICEF Country Program of Cooperation (2020-2024 Mid-Year Review) at the Conference Hall of the Foreign Service Academy, Tower Hill in Freetown.
The outcome of the 2024 Mid-Term Review will enhance effective service delivery for the rights and wellbeing of all children and adolescents in Sierra Leone.
The objectives of the 2024 Mid-Year Review are an opportunity for the Government of Sierra Leone and UNICEF to review the progress and results achieved against the Country Program of Cooperation work plans, discuss challenges in accelerating results for children, identify and discuss challenges encountered during program implementation, provide status update on the 2024 Annual Workplan and lessons learnt and provide recommendations to improve performance in program implementation.
In her opening statement, the MoPED, Minister, Madam Kenyeh Barlay asserted that it is good that UNICEF is now reaching out to inaccessible areas in the country as well as expanding its activities and congratulated all stakeholders for the progress made highlighting that UNICEF met most of its targets citing the synergy that works better when stakeholders collaborate.
She furthered that she would ensure that the activities of UNICEF are aligned to government’s 5 Big Game Changers and the country’s National Development Plan and appealed to all to take full advantage of the opportunity asserting that the 5 Big Game Changers are all about effective service delivery.
The UNICEF Country Representative in Sierra Leone, Mr. Rudolf Schwenk disclosed that the event is for stakeholders to learn and reflect on progress made, challenges and the way forward, asserted that UNICEF wants to do more for children but cannot do it alone and informed that the Summit for the Future would be held in four weeks’ time.
Highlights of the event were opening remarks by the UNICEF Country Representative in Sierra Leone, Mr. Rudolf Schwenk and the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, overview of the Country Program 2020-2024 by Ms. Liv Slin Indreiten, facilitator and UNICEF Deputy Representative Program, presentations-UNICEF and the Government of Sierra Leone Joint Program Field Visit, Findings and Recommendations by MoPED/UNICEF, Supply End-User Monitoring Key Findings, Challenges and Recommendations by UNICEF, Health and Nutrition by the Ministry of Health, Presentations on Key Achievements on WASH, Education, Child Protection and Innovation by the Ministries of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Water Resources and Sanitation, Technical and Higher Education, Gender and Children’s Affairs and Communication and Information Technology respectively.
Other highlights were Annual Workplans signed by the Government of Sierra Leone and UNICEF for 2024, plenary discussions on results achieved, challenges and the way forward by Ms. Liv Slin Indreiten, facilitator and UNICEF Deputy Representative Program.
Earlier, the Development Secretary, MoPED, Mr. Peter Sam-Kpakra, welcomed all and facilitated the meeting with Mr. Osman C. Conteh, Deputy Development Secretary.
