Egyptian Deputy Minister of Health, Maysa Shawky, is witnessing today the signing of a cooperation protocol between National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) and UNICEF at the council's headquarters, downtown Cairo. The protocol, funded by the European Union (EU), aims to broaden opportunities for children at risk to get proper education and social protection. Shawki said, the protocol seeks to achieve children's rights to survival, development, participation and protection against violence. The programme deals with a number of axes which serve children and mothers including providing technical support for children protection committees in different governorates as well as legal and psychological support for vulnerable children. It also seeks to support non-governmental organizations in governorates and providing safe children houses in cases of utmost danger and raising awareness of positive education. This is supposedly carried out through coordination with societies and organizations concerned with childhood in various governorates and establishing a unified data base for the most vulnerable children. UNICEF representative, Porno Mys said Egypt had achieved great progress in the field of child protection with issuing the Amended Child Law and criminalizing female circumcision. UNISEF, a member of the United Nations Development Group, headquartered in New York City provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries.
