UNICEF and the government of Spain today signed a special agreement that will provide some 228 million ($336 million) in support of programmes that help children in need, over a period of three years, a press release from UNICEF Gambia office revealed.

This new commitment by Spain the release added, takes the form of a three-year partnership agreement with UNICEF. It will enable increased activities, focused on the survival of young children, on basic education, protection of children, and on advocacy for government policies that support childrens rights and well-being, particularly in Africa.

“Because this agreement involves a multi-year commitment subject to parliamentary approval, it will provide support for long-term strategic programmes, targeting the causes of problems of those children around the world face, rather than simply addressing the consequences of these problems,” the release further stated.

According to the release, predictable financing is vitally important to programmes that provide sustainable solutions.

The commitment was formalised today in a framework agreement signed in Madrid by the Director of the Spanish Co-operation Agency, Elena Madrazo, and UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde F. Johnson.

“The agreement will give additional impetus to a long-standing partnership between UNICEF and Spain, which has also resulted in the provision of urgent assistance to children, caught up in humanitarian emergencies,” it stated.

UNICEF has signed similar framework agreements with 15 other countries - Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, and the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, Spain and Switzerland. Their objective is to help meet the needs of children.

The release however revealed that, an additional agreement was also signed today by UNICEF and the Council of Andalucia, which has agreed to support child development and survival programmes in Africa.