The United Nations resident coordinator for Gambia has underscored that enough is not being done and that institutions and stakeholders are not moving fast enough to address children’s needs and other threats.
Mr. Karl Frédéric Paul lamented that, with only five years remaining to achieve the SDGs, the gap between promise and reality remains far too wide.
“Too many children still lack access to quality healthcare. Too many face malnutrition. Too many are out of school. Too many remain vulnerable to violence, exploitation, and neglect. Climate change threatens the very foundation of their future.”
Mr. Paul was speaking during the UNICEF’s celebration of its diamond jubilee on Monday evening. While he acknowledged the massive achievements of the UN since the establishment of an outstation in The Gambia sixty years ago, he held no reservations about some realities on the ground.
He added, “The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. If 64 per cent of our population is children, then 64 per cent of our urgency must be directed toward accelerating action on their behalf. This anniversary is not merely a moment for reflection; it is a clarion call for acceleration, for innovation, for courage.
“UNICEF has shown us what is possible when commitment meets action. But their remarkable work must inspire us to do more. Governments, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector, and communities must do more. We must work together with renewed intensity to build resilient systems that reach every child, everywhere, especially those furthest behind.”
He held that the 60th anniversary is both a celebration and a summons, as it celebrates six decades of UNICEF’s dedication to creating a better Gambia for every child everywhere and also summons them to accelerate, to innovate, to be bolder in their ambitions and more resolute in actions.
He thus urged the continued investment in systems that leave no child behind, amplify the voices of children and adolescents who must be heard and heeded, and build a society where every child can not merely survive but truly thrive.
