Supporting the equity agenda In 2010, UNICEF launched a renewed focus on equity
Regular Resources facilitate an enabling environment
in order to accelerate progress towards achieving the
to advocate for policy changes in support of children’s
Millennium Declaration and Millennium Development
rights; leverage national and donor budgets towards
Goals. Guided by the organization’s Medium-term
equity-focused strategies; advocate for the removal
Strategic Plan (MTSP) for 2006–2013, this equity
of user fees for education, for cash transfers, and for
focus led the organization to define strategic results
other social safety nets; develop national and local
areas (SRAs) within the MTSP. SRAs are ‘markers’
capacities; procure supplies for service delivery; and
of early success in the process of refocusing pro-
undertake communication and social mobilization ini-
grammes on the equitable delivery of results to disad-
tiatives. Further, Regular Resources are allocated to
vantaged children and their families. UNICEF is now
least developed countries as well as to middle income
developing an equity-focused, decentralized frame-
countries in order to enable the organization to strate-
work for monitoring these results, together with
gically address serious disparities in both contexts.
national and local partners.
Regular Resources provided in 2010 enabled UNICEF
Regular Resources provide the necessary flexibility
to support rigorous data collection methods, such as
for UNICEF country offices to facilitate funding in a
household surveys and multiple indicator cluster sur-
strategic manner so as to reach children and women
veys (MICS). These core resources are necessary
with the greatest needs. These core resources will
to continue supporting further surveys to fill critical
be particularly critical in determining the continued
data gaps for monitoring the situation of children and
relevance of SRAs in each country, improving pro-
women.
gramme analysis, and aligning programme strategies to address key constraints to progress.
When a child’s right to education, basic health, or protection is denied, he or she is deprived of the
Both the strategic results areas and the monitoring
opportunity to survive, grow, and develop. In most
framework will be applied to all programme areas in
cases, children tend to be deprived of multiple rights,
the coming years as one means of ensuring that pro-
reinforcing their marginalization within society. The
grammes efficiently address equity concerns and
consequences of these deprivations span the life
support progress on the Millennium Declaration and
cycle, cutting short the child’s potential to develop
the MDGs. The very flexibility provided by Regular
his or her full capacities as an adult. By applying an
Resources was instrumental in developing these
equity lens to child-wellbeing, UNICEF can contribute
SRAs and the monitoring framework. Going forward,
to broader social processes aimed at addressing and
Regular Resources will be required to strengthen
changing inequities among all members of society.
UNICEF’s capacities to implement its equity-focused programmes.
REPORT ON REGULAR RESOURCES 2010
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