site.btaUNICEF Regional Director for Europe, Central Asia Concludes First Visit to Bulgaria

UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Regina De Dominicis has concluded her first mission to Bulgaria, UNICEF Bulgaria said on Monday. During her two-day visit to the country, De Dominicis conferred with senior government officials to discuss national priorities for children and opportunities to strengthen efforts to support the most vulnerable families.

She held a series of high-level meetings, including with outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev, outgoing Labour and Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov, and outgoing Deputy Foreign Minister Nikolay Berievski. The discussions focused on the results of joint cooperation and on ongoing efforts to address urgent and emerging challenges facing children at both national and global levels, including child poverty, violence, mental health, skills development and humanitarian crises.

The future partnership between Bulgaria and UNICEF after the implementation of the current Country Programme through 2027 was also discussed during the meetings.

A key highlight of the visit was the Regional Director’s visit to the Children’s Advocacy and Support Centre Zona ZaKrila Plus in Sofia, an innovative model supported by UNICEF that provides specialized, child-friendly services for children who have suffered violence, as well as for children in conflict with the law.

The centre was described as being at the core of Bulgaria’s intersectoral efforts to prevent and respond to violence against children. According to UNICEF, it brings together professionals from social services, the justice system, education and healthcare in order to ensure coordinated and trauma-informed support.