TIBF special cultural event in world: UNICEF representative in Iran

Mohamed El Munir Safieldin, representative of the UNICEF in Iran, said the Tehran International Book Fair is a very special event not only for Iran, but for the world as well so far as books are concerned, AVA Diplomatic Reports.At the UN stall at the 26th Tehran International Book Fair, Mohamed El Munir Safieldin stated that the book is an important event for all the people in the world because books are attractive to all the people who are interested in books and book reading.

Underlining the presented items at the UN stall, he stated that “a good deal of the work of the UNICEF is about communication of information and knowledge about children’s issues to the world.”

As he said, the items being presence at the 26th Tehran International Book Fair are copies of different annual reports of the UNICEF about children, their lives, their rights and their wellbeing as a very important age group in Iran and many other countries in the world.

 “This year, the UNICEF will have a very special report which addresses issues about children. The reports are aimed at informing adolescents,” he further added.

All the publications presented by the UN in its stall at the book fair are free for visitors of the exhibit, he added.

When asked about UNICEF’s activities regarding children in Syria, he said, “This is a very important question… Children are a very vulnerable age group that cannot protect themselves especially at conflict zones like Syria. Children constitute the largest number of victims in such conflicts and are being affected in many ways; some have lost their lives, some have been seriously injured and many many have been replaced and are made to leave their home and live across the border in the neighboring cities or even countries. UNICEF has been working with various teams [in the region] to provide children with medical care, water, sanitation facilities and education, and at the same time in each and every country, UNICEF has been working with many NGOs to ensure the safety of these children to live some part of the normal life a child would want, like playing and having fun like normal children which is one of the things UNICEF has done for children.”

He further added that a new updated report on UNICEF operations in the region and various parts of the world will be put on public display at the book fair in the following days of the exhibition in Tehran.

The 26th Tehran International Book Fair is being held at Tehran’s Grand Imam Khomeini Prayer Ground and will run through May 11 2013.