Thank you Mr. President,

Please accept our compliments on your appointment as President of the Executive Board.We would also like to compliment other elected bureau members.

2.    We would like to thank Mr.Anthony Lake, Executive Director of the UNICEF for his comprehensive statement which clearly brought out that the needs of children everywhere should precede politics and ideology.

Mr. President,

3.    Nearly half of the world's 2 billion children continue to suffer from poverty and millions are vulnerable to existing and emerging challenges including armed conflict, epidemics and natural disasters.

4.    UNICEF's mandate to operationalise the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its commitment to purse the SDGs (particularly SDGs 1,213,4,5,6, and 16), puts the organization at the heart of this crucial agenda.

Mr. President,

5.    With over 450 million children, India is home to the largest child population in the world.India recognizes every child as unique and 'supremely important asset'. The Indian constitution has several provisions providing for protection, development and welfare of children.

6.    India has adopted a rights-based approach in its National Policy for Children in 2013. The National Charter for Children of 2003 underlines the intent to secure for every child its inherent  right.

7.    Elementary education is a fundamental right in India. We recognize that literacy,particularly from early childhood,is the key to the implementation of an inter­ generational approach towards rights of child.

8.    India has achieved full gender parity and almost full enrollment in primary education. A number of programmes are being implemented to address the declining child sex ratio and for empowerment of women on a life cycle continuum, including through the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Beti Bacho Beti Padao-save daughters educate daughters- programme .

 
Mr. President,

9.  All the U NDS entities, including UNICEF, are finalizing their respective Strategic Pla n for the next 4 yea rs. This is the first strategic plan developed post the adoption of 2030 Agenda in 2016 and to a large measu re our success in meeti ng Sustaina ble Development Goals would depend on the early gains derived from the successful implementat ion of these Plans.

10.    Lessons learned from the implementation of current Strategic Plans are useful in plan n ing operational strategies for the 2018-21 Strategic Plan .  Com munity mobilization, strengthen ing service delivery systems, multi sector plan ning and action are importa nt lessons i n the case of U NICEF. We ta ke note of the proposed results based approach of the next Strategic Plan .

Mr. President,

11.    The crucial task however is to better translate the  guida nce  given  by the mem ber states through the QCPR 2016 into a pla n with clear and concrete l ines of action to support  the  countries  in  their  efforts to  implement  the  2030  agenda. The U N DS entities should reflect their contributions to the 2030 Agenda in their Strategic Plans.

Mr. President,

12.    .    The   U N   development   system   has   to   support   countries   mai nstream   the Sustainable  Development  Goals  into  national  planning. However,  national  contexts,  ownership and priorities  remain  important  elements.

13.    We take note of UNICEF's advocacy, includ ing through the report , 'Uprooted : The growing  crisis for refugee  and  migrant children',  to include  internally  displaced persons  i ncluding   children,  in  the  development  of  national  laws  and  development strategies. However, a caution  is called  here against merging the u nrelated  concepts of refugees, mig rants and i nternally displaced persons.

14.    Pol itical neutrality is an important element in the successful implementation  of the  Peacebuild ing, Ed ucation and Advoca cy Programme.

Mr. President,

15.    We ta ke note of UNICEF's engagement in countries tra nsition ing from midd le­ income status and in hig h-income countries .  However,  low-income  countries, especially the least developed countries and countries in sub-Saharan Africa,  should remain the priority in terms of resource allocations.

 
Mr. President,

16.    It is expected that UN development system entities will appreciate that Goal 17 (that emphasizes Global Partnersh ip for Sustaina ble Development)  is also crucial for the success of our efforts.

Mr. President,

17. I take this opportu n ity to place on record India's appreciation of UNICEF for the commend able efforts to protect and promote the rights of child, and also to renew our commitment to work with U NICEF, to achieve 'A World f it for children '.