A meeting focused on implementation of the 2005-2009 Programme of Co-Operation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was held in the Turkmen capital. The heads of the UN agencies accredited to Turkmenistan and the Turkmen partners – the officials of the Mejlis, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry and the departments engaged in the childhood-related activities, the representatives of the public organisations and velayat khyakimliks took part in the meeting.

The participants presented the overviews on the work done in the period and discussed the plans of action and priority trends of long-term co-operation. Welcoming Turkmenistan’s new initiatives to fundamentally reform the social sector the heads of the UN agencies reaffirmed the readiness to provide overall assistance to the national programmes implemented in the country.

The participants noted an undoubted success of the long-term joint activities of the Government of Turkmenistan and the authoritative international organisation standing as Turkmenistan’s active partner in ensuring the guarantees and protection of children. Within the framework of the Agreement on Co-Operation concluded by the Government of Turkmenistan and UNICEF in 1992 and the current Programme of Co-Operation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Children’s Fund a number of the projects aimed at integrated development of the children, increasing youth’s wellbeing, applying the advanced methods of training and education, propagating the healthy lifestyle, achieving the aims conforming to the Millennium Development Goals and the national priorities were successfully implemented

Upon concluding the meeting the participants provided their recommendations on optimization of the further point work and expressed belief that multi-aspect interaction would be successfully continued.