Minister Paradis announces Canada's leading role in launching the No Lost Generation initiative in Iraq
October 17, 2014 – Ottawa, Ontario – Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
Today, the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie, was joined by Anthony Lake, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to announce Canada’s commitment to address the education and protection needs of conflict-affected children in Iraq. Minister Paradis made the announcement following a meeting with Mr. Lake and key Canadian stakeholders to discuss child education in emergencies.
"The threat posed by ISIL is serious and far-reaching. The terrorist organization threatens national security and is wreaking havoc on the people of Iraq and surrounding countries, including their children, who are being denied the right to a childhood, an education, and even a future,” said Minister Paradis. "Canada’s leadership is ensuring that at-risk children are protected and able to keep learning even as they face the current conflict in their country and that no child is left behind."
Canada will contribute $8 million to UNICEF, underlining a leading role in launching the No Lost Generation initiative in Iraq. This initiative will reach as many as 200,000 at-risk children in Iraq and ensure that they have the opportunity to continue their education through formal education and catch-up classes. It will also provide at-risk children with protection and access to services for optimal physical, emotional and psychosocial health and development. In addition, the initiative will promote social cohesion within and between communities to improve the well-being of girls and boys.
No Lost Generation is an initiative of the United Nations, international and non-governmental organizations, and governments. It was first launched in October 2013 to alleviate the impact of the Syrian crisis on a generation of children and young people in Syria and neighbouring countries, including Iraq. It aims to expand access to education, increase psychosocial support, strengthen child protection, bolster social cohesion and promote peacebuilding so that children can build a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.
“Caught between two brutal conflicts, these children are at risk of becoming a lost generation without the skills they need to rebuild their lives and their societies, or the desire for reconciliation that will drive them to do so,” said Mr. Lake. “That is why investing in educating the minds and healing the hearts of Iraqi and Syrian children is both a humanitarian priority and a strategic imperative, and why Canada's role in spearheading the No Lost Generation initiative in Iraq is so critically important: their futures depend on it."
Maxime Robert
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
343-203-6238
maxime.robert@international.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
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media@international.gc.ca
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Tiffany Baggetta
UNICEF Canada
416-482-6552 ext. 8892
647-308-4806 (mobile)
tbaggetta@unicef.ca
