At the national level, the main partner for UNICEF is the government. The organization also works with non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations in the countries and some of these include: national child rights committees, Departments of Social Services and their equivalents, national bar associations, media, youth groups and national youth councils, churches, Ministries of Health, Ministries of Education, Ministries of Community Development or their equivalents, Ministries of Youth or their equivalents, national early childhood development associations and parent support groups and organizations.
Partnership with UNICEF
Child protection: National child rights committees, Departments of Social Services and their equivalents, national bar associations and the media have partnered with UNICEF primarily in educating and sensitizing the public to children’s rights. This has been done either through workshops for key professionals such as daycare workers, the police, judiciary, health professionals and others who work directly or indirectly with children, or through media awareness campaigns.
HIV/AIDS: In the area of HIV/AIDS, youth groups and national youth councils, churches, Ministries of Health, Ministries of Education, Ministries of Community Development or their equivalents and Ministries of Youth or their equivalents have all worked with UNICEF in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaigns.
Adolescence: Ministries of Youth or their equivalents are national mechanisms for reaching youth and supporting youth programmes. In partnership with UNICEF they are working on developing national youth policies. Another partner has been Ministries of Education, which have provided technical and financial leadership for a comprehensive range of national educational programmes and have provided support for the implementation of the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) programme.
Early childhood: Ministries of Education and Ministries of Community Development or their equivalents have worked with UNICEF in developing national early childhood development policies and standards. Other partners in this area of early childhood are national early childhood development associations and parent support groups and organizations. National early childhood development associations are playing an active role in offering training, educational activities, and networking with regional associations and UNICEF collaborates with them mainly in providing training for parents and caregivers. The Ministries of Health are also important partners in the area of early childhood development. They collaborate with UNICEF on a wide range of activities ranging from promoting breastfeeding and the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative to immunization and providing developmental monitoring.