‘Why we want to protect children, young people’
A new noteworthy partnership has
declared that its basic mission is to protect children and young people
worldwide from poverty.
It also explains why it wants to
do so.
The partnership, between the European
Investment Bank and UNICEF, aims to achieve this by increasing access to
quality education and reducing the impact of climate change on children.
Under a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) signed by EIB Group President Werner Hoyer and UNICEF
Executive Director Henrietta Fore, the two institutions committed to jointly
investing in quality education, skills training and a scale-up of community-based
climate adaptation initiatives in schools and health facilities.
Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for
Jobs and Social Rights, said: “The social agenda of this European Commission
aims for a more certain future for our children and young people. We want to
protect them from poverty and make sure they have access to the skills and
training they need to navigate the green and digital transitions. Nobody should
be left behind. I welcome this agreement between the EIB and UNICEF which
captures that very same ethos.”
To improve children’s climate
resilience and access to health services, quality education and safe water, EIB
and UNICEF will promote financial innovation including impact investments aimed
at boosting financing for development.
They will also look to help
vulnerable groups gain better access to services around the EIB’s sustainable
infrastructure investments in water, sanitation, hygiene and other such projects.
Pilot projects will soon be
initiated in countries across Europe, Central Asia and Southern-Eastern Africa.
“Supporting education, providing
decent jobs and tackling climate change are of great importance for young
people globally. These are also strategic priorities of the EU bank,” Hoyer
said. “Leveraging the well-known expertise and operational capacity of UNICEF,
the EU bank will contribute to improve inclusive and equitable quality
education for children and young people worldwide and promote lifelong learning
opportunities.”
“Around 10 million young people
reach working age every month and must be equipped with the foundational skills
they need to succeed,” Fore added. “By working with the EIB we can help make
sure that children and young people have the digital, business and
entrepreneurial skills needed to thrive in today’s market."
Comments
Post a Comment