By Sallieu S. Kanu
The Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Professor David Francis has welcomed the newly appointed Country Representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Rudolf Schwenk in the country.
In his address, Prof. Francis said the Government of President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, has always maintained an open-door policy for diplomats and development partners.
He commended UNICEF for an excellent working relationship with the Ministry of Basic & Senior Secondary School, the Ministry of Labour, and the Office of the First Lady in promoting girl-child issues.
“Focusing on children and women are key priorities of this government. We have legislated the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment law which seeks to give 30 percent elective positions to women, 30 percent appointment positions to women, and 30 percent private financial access to them,” he said.
“His Excellency the President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has focused on three pillars of development: Education, health, and agriculture. We have allocated 22% of our GDP towards education and that has translated into two million pupils returning to school. As this government looks forward to working with you, I believe with the continuous support from UN agencies like UNICEF, we can achieve a lot,” Professor Francis added.
He also called on the UNICEF Country Representative to explore the beauty of Sierra Leone by visiting other places outside Freetown.
Professor Francis called on Mr. Schwenk to serve as Sierra Leone’s Goodwill Ambassador as the country seeks to return to the non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (2024/25).
Presenting his Letter of Credentials to the Minister, Mr. Schwenk said that the work of UNICEF cannot be underestimated in any country, as it cuts across most of the sectors including health, education, and children’s affairs.
He promised to closely work with government agencies through collaboration on development areas.