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Beijing, September 19, 2012 The UNICEF China office today celebrated 30 years of partnership with its earliest programme cooperation partners.

©UNICEF/China/2012/Sun Peng Assistant Minister of Commerce, Mr. Fang Aiqing delivers a congratulation speech at the begining of the special celebration event.

The common feature of all the honored program partners is that they have had working relationships with UNICEF for more than 30 years. The Ministry of Commerce, the All-China Women's Federation, the China National Children's Centre, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, they have all worked in partnership with UNICEF in achieving many of the most important gains for children.

“After 30 years, our cooperation has reached maturity achieving tangible results.” Ms. Meng Xiaosi, Vice President of one of the awarded partners All-China Women's Federation said.

“It is not the longest existing partnership in the UNICEF world, but it is definitely one of the most effective,” said Tim Sutton, Deputy Representative of UNICEF China.

 “UNICEF China cannot operate the way it does without the support of our partners. Together, we have touched and improved the lives of millions of children,” said Gillian Mellsop, Representative of UNICEF China.

©@UNICEF/China/2012/Sun Peng Vice Minister of Health, Mr.Liu Qian (middle) takes a picture with Assistant Minister of Commerce, Mr. Fang Aiqing and Ms. Yoka Brandt, Deputy Executive of UNICEF.

 Three of the honored partners actually played important roles in helping the UNICEF programme get off the ground in these early days. They are the Ministry of Commerce, the All-China Women's Federation and the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. The Ministry of Commerce provides overall coordination of UNICEF cooperation, and help to expand UNICEF programs to all parts of the country.

UNICEF's cooperation with the Ministry of Health began with efforts to set-up China's cold chain system in the early 1980s. By 1988, the cold chain system had reached 90% of the population, coinciding with the dramatic decline of vaccine preventable diseases in China.

UNICEF assisted the Ministry of Education to improve educational text books and printed materials by helping to produce the first “colored” books and magazines for pre-school, primary and middle school students. UNICEF also supported introduction of the Child Friendly School concept to China, to make classrooms more inclusive and interactive in remote communities.

Witnessing 30 years of cooperation

Branching out of efforts to support AIDS orphans, UNICEF is now helping China's Ministry of Civil Affairs to pilot its first comprehensive child welfare system. UNICEF's earliest work with the Ministry of Civil Affairs focused on rehabilitation of children with disabilities. The objective of current partnership on child welfare aims to establish a community based system of services and support for orphans and other highly vulnerable children.

©UNICEF/China/2012/Sun Peng Popular singer and performing artist, Ms. Cheng Lin plays the Erhu, a tradition Chinese musical instrument at the event.

Vice Minister of Civil Affairs, Mr.Dou Yupei, has been closely involved with UNICEF partnership from the very beginning.  He started working for the Ministry of Civil Affairs in 1982, the same year UNICEF started to work with the Ministry.  He recalled how the cooperation has expanded from supporting child welfare institutions to providing community-based services. He also recalled that the partnership has expanded from social welfare to social assistance, emergency relief and disaster reduction, and how joint programs have spread from a few big cities to hundreds of locations throughout China.  

“On behalf of numerous orphans, street children and those affected by HIV or emergency, I want to express thanks and gratitude to your great work in China,” said Minister Dou with deep emotion.

UNICEF first arrived in China in 1947, providing food, hygiene and emergency support for shattered children on both sides of the Civil War. In the late 1970's Henry Labouisse, then Executive Director of UNICEF, led the first informal visits to China. Five years later, UNICEF China was formally established with the signing of the first Basic Cooperation Agreement.