Belarus’ permanent representative in UN elected chairman of UNICEF Executive Council

Permanent representative of Belarus in the United Nations Andrei Dapkiunas has been unanimously elected chairman of the Executive Council of the United Nations Children’s Fund /UNICEF/, BelTA has been told in the foreign ministry. For the first time of its membership in the UN, Belarus will head the UNICEF Executive Council. Within the framework of the current session of the UNICEF Executive Council in New York, the pivotal issue for Belarus will be an approval of the UNICEF program for Belarus for 2006-2010 on implementation of the projects on international technical aid for childhood protection with the total budget of USD 5,4 million. As the foreign ministry has stressed “we welcome the UNICEF decision to increase the financing of the program which initial budget was USD 720 thousand”. Under the Belarusian chairmanship the council will consider the report of the UNICEF executive director on the activity of the fund in 2005, approve the fund’s strategy in health protection, education, water supply and safe living conditions for the children in the world. The session will stay open by January 19.