First Lady Fazna Ahmed on Thursday said the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had played a pivotal role over the years in helping raise healthy, educated, and empowered young adults across the globe, including the Maldives. She made the statement in a video message she delivered at the "Reimagining Opportunities for Children in South Asia" event held in Kathmandu, Nepal, and virtually this morning, as part of celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the agency.
 
The high-level event, organised by the UNICEF Regional Office in South Asia, featured video messages from governments across the region, with the First Lady delivering her message as the UNICEF Champion for the Rights of Children and Young People in the Maldives.
 
UNICEF first started working in the Maldives some 43 years ago. Since then, the First Lady said, the Maldives has come a long way. "Today, close to a 100% of our children are enrolled in primary education. Mortality rate has decreased 7.6/1,000 births in 2019," she added.
 
Speaking about the government’s commitment to protecting the rights of children, the First Lady underscored as "important milestones" the legislative work done so far — ratification of the Child Rights Act and the Juvenile Justice Act in 2019.  She said these laws "mandated a safe platform for children to voice and participate in making decisions that affect them," and "prohibited the death penalty of juveniles and prohibited child labour and child marriage." She also highlighted that the Education Act, which followed in 2020, recognised the importance of inclusive education.
 
While UNICEF's intervention played a key role in getting the Maldives to where we are today, the First Lady stressed that there is more that needs to be done. "Around the world, millions of children are being stripped of their rights to health services and education due to Covid-19," she noted. "We must address these issues now and with full effect and ensure that every child is provided with adequate healthcare, vaccines, and access to education."
 
“It goes without saying too that it is our children and our grandchildren that will truly live the consequences of action or inaction,” she added. “We must ensure that their voices are heard and represented in our response to climate action and other issues that directly affect them.”
 
The First Lady concluded her remarks by extending warm wishes for the 75th anniversary of UNICEF.