Raising a healthy generation is a top priority of the state policy in Uzbekistan. Could you please share your opinion on activities taken in Uzbekistan in the fields of MCH, regular medical checkup and recovery of women and children, prevention of communicable diseases, strengthening of children's sport and their upbringing?

We are happy to see how much attention Uzbekistan pays to the future generation. I believe the Government of Uzbekistan values children not only as the country's future, but as its greatest resource, a foundation on which the future is being built.

- How do you assess implementation of the current Country Program of Cooperation between Uzbekistan and UNICEF for 2010-2015?

- Uzbekistan adopted the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1992. Government of Uzbekistan confirms its commitment to advance the child rights agenda implementing the state programs on child well-being in health, education and child protection areas.

UNICEF Uzbekistan provides assistance to the Government of Uzbekistan in CRC implementation by contributing to several areas, including mother and child health, nutrition, HIV prevention and treatment, preschool education and child protection.

- How do you see perspectives of the cooperation between Uzbekistan and UNICEF? What should be a focus of the next stages of this cooperation?

- UNICEF has had a successful partnership with the Government of Uzbekistan for 21 years now and we will continue our cooperation to ensure the fulfillment of child rights in the areas of health, education, child protection. We will build upon national priorities, the observations of the CRC and our valuable lessons learned from previous programme cycles.

This year, 2015, is the last year for our 2010-2015 country programme of cooperation and the penultimate year for planning our new 5 year programme. Not only do we have to accelerate our interventions to reach the goals of the current programme, but also work closely with our government counterparts to design the new programme for 2016-2020.

In the health sector, UNICEF will continue working in the areas of maternal and child health, nutrition and HIV. The ultimate scope of our work will include further reducing infant mortality caused by preventable diseases, such as pneumonia, diarrhea and complications to mothers and children at birth.

2015 will see the introduction of a new vaccine which protects children from pneumonia. It will greatly improve the health of children and reduce child deaths.

To ensure quality improvement, over 5,000 health professionals will be trained in the area of mother and child health. This means, more doctors and nurses will update their knowledge and practices and will therefore be able to deliver even better health services.

UNICEF will continue working with the Ministry of Public Education to ensure quality of pre-school and basic education with special attention to the most disadvantaged children.

Collaboration between UNICEF and the Ministry of Public Education is aimed at strengthening capacity of our partners to provide equitable quality education for all girls and boys.

The Government of Uzbekistan, recognizing the importance of early childhood education for the development of children, has a goal of increasing the access to pre-school education up to 45% by 2020. UNICEF will assist in this goal by providing support to the national partners in their efforts to increase equitable access to quality pre-school education. We will support half-day groups in rural areas so children even in far-flung areas will have a chance to participate in school readiness activities.

UNICEF will work with the governmental organizations, as well as communities, to ensure that children can remain with their families, and those, placed in institutions, can be reintegrated in family-based environments. In 2015 UNICEF will provide technical expertise in revision of normative and legislative frameworks to comply with international standards of justice for children.

UNICEF is anticipating a busy and productive year in 2015. We will continue working with our national partners and international development organizations, such as our sister UN agencies, the EU and other bilateral agencies, to ensure each and every child enjoys his/her rights.