UNICEF Engages Government And Corporate For Social Development

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been working for child development in India since 1949. Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, who had visited West Bengal recently after joining as the UNICEF Representative in India, has said the state is doing well on child development projects. This is a special focus area of the international organisation. Moumita Dastidar, Communication Specialist, UNICEF India, spoke to BE’s Anwesha Chowdhury.

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Q. How does UNICEF work with corporate organisations in India? How are you operating in West Bengal? A. UNICEF in India works through 13 state offices across 16 states. We work in India with the government, as well as with various corporate organisations. We often undertake various agreements with the government of India and these agreements are valid for five years. For instance, this year we have started a country programme which will operational till 2022 as per of the work-plan that is signed between the Indian government and our organisation.

Talking about our corporate engagement, we try to understand how corporates are spending their CSR funds and how much of it is going to children. We try to engage them by advocating spending more on children, whether it is on nutrition or on education. It’s not about spending more. It is about spending the fund meaningfully. Another aspect is the fundraising part, where a lot of individuals come forward and donate money for children. With that money, we try to support government programmes. In West Bengal our main focus is on corporate engagement and not so much on fundraising.

Q. What are the initiatives that are being run by UNICEF in the West Bengal?