BICOM

Israel yesterday began a term on the Board of Directors of UNICEF, the United Nations agency which provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers around the world.

The board reviews UNICEF activities and approves its policies, country programmes and budgets covering operations in around 200 countries, including providing children with clean water, proper nutrition, education and emergency relief. Israel is one of 36 member states sitting on the board and will serve a year long term in office.

This will be the third time that Israel has been a member of the UNICEF board, although this is the first occasion in over forty years. Israel first served in this role in the capacity of a developing country from 1951-9 and in 1955 Zina Harman became the first Israeli chair of the UNICEF board. Harman then represented Israel on the board again from 1963-5.

Israel had originally been a beneficiary of UNICEF aid, when in 1948 the organisation provided food, blankets, vaccines and medical equipment to mothers and children in the nascent State of Israel. Today, Israel’s branch of UNICEF is headquartered in Tel Aviv, raises million of shekels for the organisation’s activities across the world and is a partner in various aid programmes in third world countries.