130 m dollar fund for children in India

New York, Mar 14 (UNI) With an aim to accelerate the progress of Millennium Development Goals (MCG), UK International Development Minister Gareth Thomas today announced a 130 million dollar aid for an expanded DFID and UNICEF Strategic Partnership for India.

The new partnership will support UNICEF's work in India with special focus on Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, to improve delivery of primary healthcare and education.

The partnership will complement the Union and state governments' increased commitment to transforming the lives of children with a focus on reaching the most socially excluded.

At a public signing in UNICEF House with UNICEF deputy executive director Toshiyuki Niwa, Mr Thomas said, ''The funding will give a significant boost to health and education programmes for the most vulnerable and socially excluded children''.

''It will bring vital support to people who need it the most, and help lay down long term foundations to improve the quality of people's lives today and over the next generation,'' he added.

He said building on a key partnership with UNICEF, and as a complement to the UN reform process, this will help turn Government commitment into action on the ground.

''It will help us in our shared aim to reduce poverty by 2015 through the Millennium Development Goals,'' he added.

The UN agencies will get further opportunity to enhance co-ordination, efficiency and effectiveness at the country level by expanding common services, reducing collective costs and increasing knowledge sharing, Mr Thomas said.

''This funding provides the means to form an even stronger partnership between UNICEF, the Government of India and Department For International Development (DFID) to create breakthrough interventions to tackle malnutrition, child survival, education and HIV/AIDs,'' UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Niwa said.

The announcement comes after the successful Asia 2015 conference held in London last week which brought together political leaders, private sector, senior officials, NGO representatives and academics from across Asia and focused on showcasing regional successes, sharing lessons and looking to the future.

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