Belize's Youthful Future: Unicef's Role In Empowering The Next Generation

UNICEF Belize was established in 1981, the same year that Belize gained its independence. UNICEF works to ensure Belizean children are happy, healthy, safe, and free from all forms of violence. They support the Belizean government in promoting and protecting children's rights and work with state institutions and civil society organisations to ensure that all children enjoy their rights to health, education, protection, participation, and non-discrimination. UNICEF has been working in Belize since 1954, focusing on improving environmental health, vector control, school feeding programs, and providing primary school textbooks.

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of Belizean children

UNICEF has been working to promote the rights and wellbeing of Belizean children since 1954, when it began its efforts to improve environmental health, vector control, school feeding programs, and the provision of primary school textbooks. The organisation's commitment to Belizean children has continued to evolve, and today, UNICEF works to ensure that all children in Belize are happy, healthy, and safe in their homes, schools, and society.

UNICEF Belize was established in 1981, the same year that Belize gained its independence. Since then, UNICEF has progressed through six programme cycles, providing critical support in areas such as health, education, child protection, social and economic development, data and evidence generation, and adolescent and youth development and participation.

The new Country Programme Document (CPD) 2022-2026 outlines priority areas for cooperation in Belize, with three key areas being:

• Every Child Free from All Forms of Violence
• Every Child Learns
• Every Child Survives and Thrives and Lives Free from All Forms of Poverty

UNICEF Belize supports the Government of Belize in promoting and protecting children's rights and partners with state institutions and civil society organisations to ensure that all children enjoy their rights to health, education, protection, participation, and non-discrimination.

UNICEF's work in Belize also includes supporting early childhood development (ECD) initiatives, particularly in at-risk communities and where migrant populations reside. They recognise that vulnerable families need support to nurture their children and ensure they have the best start in life.

Additionally, UNICEF Belize has been working with IOM Belize and UNHCR Belize to support migrant families in accessing immigration and social security services and collecting permanent residency cards. They also prioritise supporting children on the move, ensuring they are protected and provided with the necessary care and services they need to thrive.

Through its various initiatives and partnerships, UNICEF continues to promote the rights and wellbeing of Belizean children, striving to create a brighter future for the nation's youth.

UNICEF supports the Belizean government in protecting children's rights

UNICEF has been working to promote and protect the rights and well-being of Belizean children since 1954, when it began its early efforts to improve environmental health, vector control, school feeding programs, and the provision of primary school textbooks. The organization's commitment to Belizean children has only grown since then, with UNICEF establishing an office in the country in 1981, the same year Belize gained its independence.

UNICEF Belize supports the Belizean government in promoting and protecting children's rights and partners with state institutions and civil society organizations to ensure that all children can enjoy their rights to health, education, protection, participation, and non-discrimination. The organization has progressed through six program cycles in Belize, providing critical support in areas such as health, education, child protection, social and economic development, data and evidence generation, and adolescent and youth development and participation.

The current Country Programme Document (CPD) 2022-2026, which began in March 2022, outlines three priority areas for cooperation in Belize:

• Every Child Free from All Forms of Violence
• Every Child Learns
• Every Child Survives and Thrives and Lives Free from All Forms of Poverty

UNICEF Belize's work is focused on ensuring that Belizean children are happy, healthy, and safe in their homes, schools, and society. The organization has continued to support Early Childhood Development (ECD) initiatives, particularly in at-risk communities and where migrant populations reside, recognizing that vulnerable families need support in nurturing their children.

In addition, UNICEF Belize has been working closely with national partners to protect the rights and well-being of children on the move, including those seeking amnesty, legal documentation, and permanent residency. The organization also prioritizes the promotion of safe and loving relationships, early stimulation, and learning for children, recognizing their vital role in a child's health, development, and well-being.

Through its various programs and initiatives, UNICEF Belize is dedicated to making Belize a country fit for its children, where they can thrive and enjoy their rights to health, education, protection, and participation.

UNICEF works with state institutions to ensure children's rights to health, education, protection, participation and non-discrimination

UNICEF works with state institutions in Belize to ensure that children's rights to health, education, protection, participation, and non-discrimination are upheld. They are committed to reaching the most vulnerable populations to ensure that vulnerable children and adolescents have access to education and benefit from equitable and inclusive learning environments.

UNICEF supports policy reform and the strengthening of national institutions, especially for the implementation of the National Early Childhood Development Strategic Plan and the development of the Strategic Plan for Adolescents. They promote close coordination between the health, education, and human development sectors to move Belize forward in early childhood development.

UNICEF has set three core commitments to ensure that:

• All children are healthy at birth and throughout their early years.
• The environments in which young children live are nurturing, responsive, safe, inclusive, and culturally appropriate.
• Young children have early learning opportunities to develop the full range of skills they need to succeed.

To achieve these commitments, UNICEF works with partners in the Ministries of Education, Health and Human Development, and Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation. Together, they develop guidance and materials, such as Belize's comprehensive parenting guide, "The Art of Parenting". They also support early childhood development programs, with a focus on health, nutrition, and early education.

Additionally, UNICEF provides support to parents, pre-school educators, mobile caregivers, and health center staff throughout the country. They offer training on brain development in infants and children, creating quality interactions between parents, children, and caregivers by engaging in stimulating activities for infants and toddlers.

UNICEF also promotes enrolment and attendance at early childhood development centers, especially for at-risk children, to improve their language, reading, writing, and math skills. They recognize the importance of increasing investment in early education to support development from the beginning of life and to lead to better school outcomes and higher productivity in adulthood.

At the primary and secondary levels, UNICEF advises education authorities to expand access to innovative, climate-smart quality education that leads to better learning outcomes and skills development. They emphasize the need for safe learning spaces and tools that help students engage with the issues they care about, including in emergency situations.

Furthermore, UNICEF addresses the learning gaps caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and plans for remedial education to address learning losses related to school closures. They prioritize education financing and mobilize domestic resources, particularly for digital learning platforms and teacher training.

UNICEF also develops training processes for teachers and students to enable them to advance learning recovery with extracurricular sessions. They promote training for teachers and school leaders in psychosocial support methodologies, such as Trauma-Informed Practice and Return to Joy in schools. By working closely with state institutions, UNICEF helps ensure that Belizean children have their rights to health, education, protection, and participation protected and fulfilled.

UNICEF Belize was established in 1981, the same year Belize gained independence

UNICEF Belize was established in 1981, the same year that Belize gained its independence. However, UNICEF's commitment to Belize dates back to 1954, when they began working to improve environmental health, vector control, school feeding programs, and providing primary school textbooks. Since its establishment, UNICEF Belize has progressed through six programme cycles, providing critical support to national and civil society partners in various areas. These areas include health, education, child protection, social and economic development, data and evidence generation, and adolescent and youth development and participation.

UNICEF Belize's current work focuses on ensuring that Belizean children are happy, healthy, and safe in their homes, schools, and society. They support the Government of Belize in promoting and protecting children's rights and partner with state institutions and civil society organizations to ensure that all children enjoy their rights to health, education, protection, participation, and non-discrimination.

UNICEF Belize's new Country Programme Document (CPD) 2022-2026 outlines priority areas for cooperation in the country. The three key areas are:

• Every Child Free from All Forms of Violence
• Every Child Learns
• Every Child Survives and Thrives and Lives Free from All Forms of Poverty

UNICEF Belize also supports early childhood development (ECD) initiatives, recognizing that vulnerable families need support in nurturing their children. They have continued to support ECD initiatives for families in at-risk communities and where migrant populations reside. Furthermore, UNICEF Belize prioritizes the issue of migration and works closely with national partners to protect the rights and well-being of children on the move, providing them with the necessary care, support, and services they need to thrive.

UNICEF Belize's work is a testament to their long-standing commitment to the country and its children, with the ultimate goal of making Belize a place where every child can grow up happy, healthy, and safe.

UNICEF has progressed through six programme cycles in Belize

UNICEF has been working in Belize since 1954, but its commitment to the country deepened in 1981 when the UNICEF office was established, coinciding with Belize's independence. Since then, the organisation has progressed through six programme cycles, providing critical support in several areas.

The first area of focus is health. UNICEF has a long history of working to improve environmental health and vector control in Belize. This includes initiatives such as school feeding programmes and providing primary school textbooks.

Secondly, UNICEF prioritises education in Belize. The organisation has supported early childhood development (ECD) initiatives, recognising that vulnerable families need assistance in nurturing their children. UNICEF has also facilitated Early Childhood Development (ECD) sessions for parents in at-risk communities and where migrant populations reside.

Thirdly, UNICEF works to protect children in Belize. One example is their support for migrant families, helping them access immigration and social security services and collect permanent residency cards. UNICEF also promotes safe and loving relationships as vital for children's health, development, and wellbeing.

Fourthly, UNICEF assists with social and economic development in Belize. They have partnered with the government to promote and protect children's rights, working with state institutions and civil society organisations to ensure that all children enjoy their rights to health, education, protection, participation, and non-discrimination.

Fifthly, UNICEF supports data and evidence generation in the country.

Finally, UNICEF focuses on adolescent and youth development and participation. They encourage Belizean youth to advocate for issues that are important to children through platforms like the National Children's Parliament.

UNICEF's new Country Programme Document (CPD) 2022-2026, which began in March 2022, outlines three priority areas for cooperation in Belize: 1) Every Child free from all forms of violence, 2) Every Child Learns, and 3) Every Child Survive and Thrives and lives free from all forms of poverty.

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