TEHRAN – The Iran-Austria Joint Chamber of Commerce (IAJCC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have signed a three-year agreement to work for the welfare and well-being of children in Iran.

As per this partnership, the IAJCC will mobilize its members’ financial support for UNICEF programs in Iran. UNICEF and the IAJCC will also work together to offer opportunities for the business sector to mitigate negative impacts and yield positive results for children, the UNICEF website announced in a press release on September 9.

“UNICEF highly appreciates the support of the IAJCC to promote responsible business practices among private and public sector aimed at advancing children’s welfare in Iran in different areas such as healthcare, nutrition, social protection, clean water, and education,” said UNICEF Representative in Iran, Dr. Robin Nandy, adding, “We look forward to more such partnerships to place children’s rights at the heart of the corporate sustainability agenda.”

“I am profoundly honored to start a partnership with UNICEF in Iran. This agreement not only reflects our dedication to social responsibility but also our belief in the power of collective action to create a brighter future for the next generation.

Together with UNICEF, we are poised to make a significant impact in areas such as healthcare, clean water, and education, ensuring that every child in Iran has the opportunity to thrive”, said the president of IAJCC, Nariman Sadri.

UNICEF has been supporting Government Ministries and partners in their work for Iran’s children since the early 1950s, initially assisting in the vaccination of children against tuberculosis and equipping the country's first pasteurized milk factory.

Later UNICEF’s focus shifted to supporting children's health programs in Iran, such as promoting breastfeeding, vaccination, and preventing diarrhea.

The current country program between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and UNICEF, from 2023 to 2027, is focused on the following areas: Health and Nutrition, Education and Adolescent Empowerment, Child Protection, Social Policy, Emergency, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene as well as the climate change.

IAJCC

The Iran-Austria Joint Chamber of Commerce commenced its operations on March 19, 2018, with the objective of enhancing and fortifying commercial, industrial, and economic relations between Iranian and Austrian business leaders.

The Chamber is dedicated to providing comprehensive support services and fostering effective communication between the two nations.

In addition to its core mission, the IAJCC is actively engaged in various social initiatives, including the construction and inauguration of the 112th “Irane Man” School, the “Nafas” project, and tree planting campaigns across different regions.

Recent cooperation

On July 8, UNICEF and Panter Group signed a three-year partnership agreement titled ‘Creativity for All Children’ to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children and adolescents in Iran.

The partnership provides financial support to UNICEF programs. As per this partnership, the Panter Group will donate part of the proceeds from the sale of its selected products to UNICEF.

“UNICEF highly appreciates the support of Panter Group to enable investments in priorities for children of Iran, such as healthcare, nutrition, social protection, clean water, and education,” said Nandy.

He went on to say, “We look forward to more such partnerships with the private sector to join forces and leverage the strengths of the corporate sector for the benefit of children in Iran.

UNICEF stands ready to support companies in achieving both their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and business objectives.”

Panter Entrepreneurship Group, as a knowledge-based, innovative, and nanotechnology-oriented company in the field of stationery strives to apply the "Brandpreneurship" model to develop a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem in Iran.

On the basis of the idea of entrepreneurial management, Panter makes efforts to maintain its place as a respected and major brand at national and international levels.

In the last week of May, the Vice Presidency (VP) for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-based Economy and UNICEF organized a training session for VP directors on child rights, the UNICEF website announced in a press release on June 3.

A total of 18 VP directors and experts specialized in the fields of innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), knowledge-based economy, and cultural technologies attended the one-day training.

During the session, the participants gain insight into Results Based Management (RBM) and UNICEF’s Innovation Strategy.

During the session, the participants gain insight into Results Based Management (RBM) and UNICEF’s Innovation Strategy.

The session also covered government sectoral accountabilities, in developing national plans that contribute to the identification and addressing of the child rights deprivations in the country.

MT/MG