UNICEF executive Board 2016 first regular session:Item: 6 – UNICEF Programme cooperation: (A) Country Programme DOCUMENTS - Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations

UNICEF executive Board 2016 first regular session:Item: 6 – UNICEF Programme cooperation: (A) Country Programme DOCUMENTS

02 February, 2016

Statement by Sofya Simonyan

Third Secretary, Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations

Mr. President,

We would like to thank the previous speakers for their insightful deliberations. We recognize the important role that UNICEF has to perform around the globe. As we embark on the implementation of the ambitious SDGs, it will be critical to enhance collective efforts to ensure that no child is left behind.

We take note of the UNICEF’s structured dialogue with Member States in preparing the new cycle of the UNICEF country programme documents for 2016-2020. We would welcome the efforts by the UNICEF country office in preparing a country programme document that aims at addressing the new and existing challenges and needs in the programme country, free from political manipulations by the host government.

Mr. President,

We understand that it is outside the Children Fund’s mandate to address conflict-related issues and we note with concern that a Country Programme Document has been misguided in several respects. In particular, we view the reference to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and to the issue of IDP children as inappropriate, irrelevant and misleading.

Unfortunately, blaming a neighbour for the inability to deliver on its own commitments, both domestically and internationally, including the commitments related to peaceful settlement, has become a modus operandi for an oil-rich but inefficiently governed country. It would be, perhaps, more effective to focus on the problems that are the very root causes of growing injustice and inequalities in the country – systemic corruption, inefficient judiciary, lack of respect for human rights and governance- related issues, which have been left out from the CPD.

We would not like to think that the UNICEF country office and, indeed, the regional office, have succumbed to blackmail by the government of Azerbaijan, whereby the narrative of the domestic propaganda has been incorporated into the CPD final text out of concern that the government might choose to cease its cooperation with the UNICEF.

We are moreover concerned that the consideration of the CPD by the Executive Board, which was supposed to take place last September, during the 2nd regular session in 2015, has been postponed to the current session, whereby the CPD has been subsequently altered to accommodate the propaganda of the host government. The draft document released in July 2015 did not contain one- sided references neither to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, nor to multiplied figures of IDP children, and isn't it alarming that such last- minute references appeared in the revised draft only in November 2015?

Mr. President,

In our comments, we have brought it to the attention of the UNICEF and its Executive Board that there has been an intentionally misleading insertion in the text about the displaced children due to the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict, even though 22 years into the ceasefire agreement, all conflict-displaced children should have already reached the universal threshold of adulthood.

In response to Armenia’s comments, the UNICEF provided a feedback, which, however, does not address the core of the issue. It is our firm belief that the insertion of politically charged language does not serve the purpose of the said document and was introduced intentionally to exploit and politicize the matter.

In its response to Armenia’s comments, the UNICEF mostly elaborates on the situation of the children born to IDP parents. If UNICEF in this CPD refers to the children born to IDP parents and/or living in IDP families then it should have made it very clear in the text to avoid potential misinterpretation and further speculations on this matter.

We understand that there may be specific situations where children born to internally displaced parents are registered as IDPs. However, we think the application of the same approach to the situations in all countries would have multiplied the number of IDP population worldwide – a number which has already reached unprecedented levels.

Mr. President,

The analysis and information contained in CPDs are meant to be accurate and need to be considered through the prism of their relevance and "added value" to the content. It goes without saying that the language of all UN programme documents should be harmonized and consistent, and that the CPDs prepared by the UNICEF should be in line with the CPDs prepared by other agencies, e.g. the UNDP or UNFPA. The UNICEF CPDs are meant to serve the needs of children and not the political interests of the host governments.

We would encourage the Board to further examine the matter involving insertion of politically driven language in the CPD with a view to ensure greater coherence and coordination in the process of preparation of UN programme documents. The independence and integrity of the Children’s Fund should have been maintained intact beyond any doubt, and we hope that this will be the case going forward.

Our delegation would like to put it on record that we express our reservation regarding the CPD for Azerbaijan for the reasons mentioned.

Thank you, Mr. President

MFA RA
official website

Dual citizenship

Electronic visa

Visa applications