74 PROMOTING AND PROTECTING MINORITY RIGHTS Children and HIV/AIDS This focus area relates to reducing and preventing HIV infections, improving treatment for HIVpositive women and children, expanding care and services for children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, and increasing HIV/AIDS awareness through the use of gendersensitive information, skills and services. In Ethiopia, for example, UNICEF seeks to enhance the participation of girls in HIV/AIDS-related development programmes through a Girls’ Forum Initiative which extends coverage to students, including minority girls from the Oromia region. In Brazil, UNICEF supports a network of Afro-descendent adolescent girls, residents and community leaders. Adolescent girls engaged their communities in the planning, implementation and monitoring of HIV-related initiatives, including initiatives related to issues of gender and race. Child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse Within this focus area, UNICEF seeks to strengthen country environments, capacities and responses to prevent and protect children from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and the effects of conflict. Most commonly, UNICEF is involved in increasing Governments’ awareness of child protection rights and encouraging improved data on and analysis of child protection. In the Philippines, for example, UNICEF assessed the effectiveness of monitoring and reporting mechanisms of human rights violations against children in Mindanao, where many conflictaffected Muslim minorities reside. UNICEF also works to better protect children from the impact of armed conflict and natural disasters. In the Sudan, for example, a gender-inclusive National Reintegration Strategy for Children Associated with the Armed Forces and Groups was developed by UNICEF and Government authorities, facilitating more appropriate support to girls released from conflict, including those from minority communities. Policy advocacy and partnerships for children’s rights Within this focus area, UNICEF promotes effective participation of minorities in mapping, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. This, coupled with relevant advocacy initiatives within and for minority communities, facilitates the development of tailored initiatives to meet their needs. In Nepal, the Decentralized Action for Children and Women programme employs an evidence-based framework informed by data disaggregated by ethnicity and engages participatory approaches with marginalized groups such as Dalits. UNICEF is also active in the development and dissemination of high-quality research and policy analysis on children and women, in collaboration with partners. UNICEF has also generated socioanthropological research through an agreement with the University of the Autonomous Regions of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, a community university focusing on Afro-descendant communities. Collaboration with civil society organizations Civil society organizations are closely involved in the work of UNICEF in the 190 countries where it is active. UNICEF has formal agreements with hundreds of NGOs and individual leaders in 160 countries, ranging from large networks such as Save the Children to village water committees. NGOs working in a specific country should approach the UNICEF country office to discuss potential partnership. Partnership can be informal (e.g., information sharing, coordination of efforts) or more formalized, which can include the provision of UNICEF funds to an NGO to implement activities for minority children. NGOs may wish to partner with UNICEF through the agency’s NGO Committee. Established in 1952, this is now a worldwide network of over 80 international NGOs working on behalf of children. The Committee: