Colombo, Oct 25 (IANS) The UN Children's Fund (Unicef) on Tuesday said Sri Lanka must invest in its children and find ever-more innovative ways to support its most vulnerable young people.
Tim Sutton, who assumed charge as the new Unicef Representative in Sri Lanka on Monday, said the country now has a unique opportunity to build a peaceful future and a prosperous society.
"After years of progress in reducing poverty, promoting reconciliation and improving the lives of children, Sri Lanka now has a unique opportunity to build a peaceful future and a prosperous society," Xinhua news agency quoted Sutton as saying.
"As Unicef Representative, I look forward to working closely with the people and the government of Sri Lanka to deliver sustainable, positive change for children," he said.
Sutton has been with Unicef since 1996 and has served in Bangladesh and Iraq. He has served as the Deputy Representative in Bhutan, the Pacific sub-region with responsibility for 14 Pacific Island countries, and most recently in China.
With Sri Lanka's transition from a post-conflict environment to one of recovery, development and middle income status, Unicef said it is focused on ensuring a more equitable approach to advancing the rights of children across the country.
