The African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the United Nations Children’s Fund signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 23 September to address education, nutrition and health care challenges facing children and young people in Africa.

The three-year agreement aims to scale-up African solutions, for African children, including through increased access to technical assistance and promoting regional and international cooperation.

Speaking at the signing ceremony held in the UNICEF headquarters in New York, Ms Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD said: “I am pleased to note that this cooperation has not waited for this moment, but that already there has been some level of engagement between our institutions in the areas of advancing the African Union Year of Nutrition as well as with education, skills and employability.”

Within the framework of the MoU, the two agencies will join forces to advance the rights of children and young people in Africa through South-South and triangular cooperation (SSTC).

“The new partnership agreement between AUDA-NEPAD and UNICEF will strengthen our joint efforts in Africa to transform education, particularly for girls, improve nutrition, and strengthen community health systems,” said Hannan Sulieman, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director.

SSTC is increasingly important in enabling collaboration as well as knowledge and skills sharing between African countries. Through SSTC, UNICEF and AUDA-NEPAD will cooperate to re-imagine education in Africa through improved access to relevant technology and skills development as well as advocacy for technical and vocational education and training. The partnership will contribute to the goals of Energize Africa.