The Malian government, through the Ministry of Education, has signed a memorandum of understanding with UNICEF to strengthen research and action in support of children’s rights.

The Bamako-UNICEF partnership will focus on four priority areas: children’s rights, health, education, and social and behavioural change. The collaboration seeks to generate evidence-based solutions to improve outcomes for children across the country.

Signed on Thursday, the agreement aims to mobilize universities and research institutions to play a more active role in addressing challenges affecting children.

The initiative comes at a critical time, as Mali continues to grapple with an education crisis that has disrupted learning for thousands of children nationwide.