The Program provides advocacy and technical support to the development and implementation of Child Protection related national strategies, policies and program s which contribute to addressing:

• Increase in family disintegration, substance abuse, mental health problems

• Increased crime rates (hence increased number of children in contact with the law and children at risk of coming in contact with the law)

• Increase in cases of child abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect:

• Increase in (child) trafficking

• Increased number of children without parental care (street children, abandoned children)

• Increased number of children affected by HIV and AIDS

• Increasing disparity among different groups of population

• Lack of social protection services, including social assistance, social work and child protection services

 The programme aims to achieve the agreed expected results in the One Plan and previous Annual Work Plans. Since 2006, the start of this country programme, the Government structures are in place. UNICEFhas recruited all staff expertise needed in all projects. For activities needing consultant(s) in the beginning of the year the advertisements have been published and applications have been received to avoid potential delays in

implementation

• MoU was signed with the Central Committee for Popularisation and Education,CPV, MOLISA and various NGOs (VAPCR) on different areas of collaboration in 2009.

• A statement of cooperation was signed by 16 stakeholders in the areas of social work in 2009.

  The AWPs clearly spell out activities of collaboration with other UN agencies, under PCGs  in particular Protection, Governance,Gender, HIV/AIDS, Social Policy) and with stakeholders other than direct implementing partners.

• Among the UN agencies with which collaboration exists are UNDP, UNODC, UNFPA, IlO, I0M,UNAIDS, WHO, and UNIAP in the areas of access to justice, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS and prevention and support for victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Technical division of labour is most evident in the collaboration with UNODC in strengthening justice system and human trafficking, where UNODC focuses more on legislation, and capacity programmes in line with relevant international standards, especially activities related to police capacity building, while UNICEF focuses more creating a child-friendly police and justice system for children in contact with the law and support for reception, recovery and reintegration for victims of trafficking.

• Division of labour is also noted in the area of prevention and support for victims of commercial sexual exploitation. While UNFPA, UNA1DS and UNODC focuses more on legislation, capacity building and programmes for adult victim of commercial sexual exploitation, UNICEF more on commercial sexual exploitation of children.

• Technical division of labour is also visible in the collaboration with the partnership group on HIV and AIDS where UNICEF focuses more on supporting development of legislation, policy and new services models on care and support for children affected by HIV and AIDS, especially regarding alternative care.

• Among the UN agencies with which collaboration is most directly sought are UNDP, UNICEF and FAO, WHO, I0M, UNFPA, UNIFEM and UNHABITAT in the area of disasters and emergency, especially UNICEF is working with government counterparts to put In place coordination mechanisms for child protection emergency preparedness and response.