Support to UNICEF Liberia country programme

Key results achieved during the period include: - UNICEF supported the GOL to finalize the development of a National Child Protection Roadmap recommendations from the Social Service Workforce Mapping and Assessment which was done in 2022 led to the development of a strategic plan inclusive of standard operating procedures, guidelines for case management of vulnerable and at risk children, and a training curriculum for paraprofessionals, social workers, and supervisors. As a result, 139 social workers, paraprofessionals, and supervisors were trained in case management and supervision. - The Birth Registration Information Management System (BRIMS) was integrated into District Health Information System Version 2 (DHIS2), and this is now interoperable with the Health Information Management System (HIMS). The Integrated BRIMS has been set up and rolled out and 92 birth registration staff trained on the use of the new system. - 14,832 adolescents (9,347 females, 5,485 males) received prevention and care interventions to address child marriage, through a multifaceted approach to adolescent empowerment interventions which included life skills trainings, technical and vocation skills trainings, and peer to peer support services. These interventions have increased adolescents competencies in decision making and provided coping mechanisms towards managing the challenges of adolescence. - At the normative level, UNICEF continued its advocacy and engagement around changes in social norms to foster an enabling environment for child protection as the main provider of support to the Government of Liberia in the provision of essential child protection services in Liberia.

The objectives of the UNICEF Country Programmme, and specifically, the Child Protection Thematic Area from 2020-2024 have not changed substantively from the previous program period. Rather, after an extensive consultative review process of the previous country programme, UNICEF has focused its programming, and as a result, has tightened its intended objectives. They are as follows:  Output 5.1: By 2024, Strengthened political commitment, accountability and national capacity of social, justice and education and health sectors in Liberia to legislate, plan, and budget for scaling up interventions that prevent and respond to violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect and enhance access to child protection and birth registration Output 5.2: By 2024, accessible and quality birth registration and child protection (prevention and response) services are in place and delivered by qualified statutory and non statutory service providers in most disadvantaged localities in Liberia Output 5.3 By 2024, children, families and communities have increased capacities in the most disadvantaged localities to promote practices that protect them through addressing gender inequitable norms, values and practices that are detrimental to boys, girls including adolescents/young people Output 5.4 By 2024, an improved knowledge base/baseline that inform programming and advocacy initiatives to increase access to birth certificates and to prevent and protect children and women from violence, abuse and exploitation