ATHENS – “Investments in social protection, through active policies and services complementary to benefits, should be our main strategy for reducing child poverty,” said Deputy Labour and Social Affairs Domna Michailidou, who participated in the first regular 2022 meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board on “Reducing Child Poverty through Policies and Programmes”.

According to an announcement by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs on Friday, Greece was represented for the first time by a Greek Deputy Minister at the UNICEF Executive Council meeting, which was attended by 14 member states. During the meeting, the UNICEF five-year national programme for Greece (2022-2026) was presented.

Michailidou made special mention of the importance of UNICEF’s cooperation, in the framework of the EU Child Guarantee initiative, reiterating the state’s commitment for social protection without exclusions.

In her speech, Michailidou stated: “Children experience poverty differently from adults. They have specific and differentiated needs. A child living in poverty can be poor for a lifetime and rarely does this child have a second chance for a good education or a healthy start in life. That is why we, with active policies, are actively combatting child poverty and ensuring a better future for all children. We are constantly moving forward with important initiatives and collaborations, such as the one with UNICEF, in order to strengthen the social protection system.”