UNICEF

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Fez) As part of her mandate as UNICEF's first Eminent Advocate for Children, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah visited two UNICEF supported projects in Fez, with Lalla Salma of Morocco, to highlight the country's efforts in combating child labor and promoting education for all.

After their visit Queen Rania said, "In many ways, education is a 'social vaccine' for girls…it immunizes against untimely death, poverty, and unemployment and helps them build healthy, hopeful futures."

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Fez) Concluding a working trip to Morocco, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah visited the Dukarat Health Center in Fez, with Lalla Meryam, to highlight Morocco's efforts in promoting child health and access to immunization.

Queen Rania, who earlier this year was named UNICEF's first Eminent Advocate for Children, commended the government-run clinic's mission in providing free health care to residents of the area. "You are helping to eliminate the tragic loss of life," said the Queen.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) In response to Her Majesty’s call to support the conflict-affected children of Gaza, four volunteers, will depart later this month to provide training and psycho-social support to several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) servicing towns and areas unreached by UN agencies within the Gaza strip.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department- Johannesburg) Starting a three-day working trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, Her Majesty Queen Rania, on Thursday, met with the South African statesman and Nobel Prize laureate Nelson Mandela and his wife, Graca Machel.

During the meeting, members of the Nelson Mandela organizations briefed Her Majesty about the various legacy projects currently underway, including the planned Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, which will be one of three such facilities in all of Africa.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Amman) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, UNICEF’s Eminent Advocate for Children, welcomed a United Kingdom’s National Committee for UNICEF delegation to Jordan, Thursday, to strategize on the Queen’s role and coordinate efforts in spreading UNICEF’s important mandate. On the heels of the Queen’s meeting with UNICEF’s Executive Director Ann Veneman in New York last month, Queen Rania brought the team together to discuss an upcoming sports in development initiative that the Queen said she was keen to lend her voice and support to. The team briefed

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - São Paulo) While in Brazil, Friday, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah visited several successful education-focused projects to see firsthand the effects of community participation in the lives of underprivileged and disadvantaged youth.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) At a time when Jordan has children’s issues at the forefront of its national agenda, UNICEF launched the State of the World’s Children 2005 report here under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania al-Abdullah.

The report under the theme of “Childhood under Threat”, uncovers the magnitude of challenges the world has yet to tackle in order to ensure that children are not denied their childhood, with poverty, armed conflict and HIV/AIDS highlighted as the unresolved impediments to the development of children.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah launched "The State of the World's Children 2003" UNICEF Report that calls for greater participation of children in decisions affecting their lives.

The launching of the UNICEF report is part of Queen Rania's efforts in supporting programs that contribute to improving the lives of children and youth in Jordan and internationally.

As member of UNICEF's Global Leadership Initiative, Queen Rania had stressed the importance of global commitment towards improving the lives of children.

(The Jordan Times, By Dina Al Wakeel, Monday, October 7, 2002 - Amman) Early childhood development in the sights of local conference

A three-day meeting began on to highlight the importance of early childhood on overall human development.

The physical, psychological and mental makeup of an individual has been shown to largely be based upon the first eight years of life. Policies and strategies based on the Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) approach are being debated by service providers throughout the Kingdom.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - NEW YORK) On a two-day working visit to the United States, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah underscored the importance of a renewed global commitment to children based on a realistic assessment of past efforts for children's rights and well-being.

Addressing the third preparatory meeting for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session for Children in New York, Queen Rania called for building future efforts on the lessons of the past.