YEREVAN (Novosti-Armenia), June 25–On Thursday the Armenian government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) signed a six-year action program for 2010-2016, the press service of the Armenian office of UNICEF informed.

The document was signed by the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian and the UNICEF Representative in Armenia Laylee Moshiri.

The program will become a road map for UNICEF, government agencies and civil society in implementing children’s rights.

“We have 16 years of successful experience in cooperation with the Armenian government and we expect more productive cooperation,” Moshiri said during the document signing ceremony.

The document includes the Sustainable Development Program, United Nations Development Assistance Program and actions for the protection of children’s rights.

The agreement represents the main areas and the strategy that UNICEF and the Armenian government will follow during the next six years for the implementation of Millennium Development Goals, aimed at improving the situation of children and women.

Steps will be taken to make reforms in the following spheres: social policy, development of local development programs, promotion of inclusive education, child care, special education, provision of more effective social services to needy families and children’s rights to grow up in families and implementation of new opportunities and mechanisms for the youth. Both the Armenian Parliament and the Ombudsman’s office are also expected to  be active in the development of the program.

Translated from Russian by Yerevan Report