The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Defense of Liberia will today sign a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their cooperation to support the realization of the rights of all children and women in the country.

The MOU is being signed with respect to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a UNICEF statement said.

The ceremony will take place at the Ministry of Defense, Barclay Training Center, UN Drive, in Monrovia.

The Minister of Defense, Hon. Brownie J. Samukai, Jr. and the UNICEF Representative in Liberia, Ms. Isabel Crowley will sign for their respective agencies.

"This year is the 20th anniversary of the CRC. As a signatory of both the CRC and the CEDAW, Liberia is committing to ensure that the rights of children and women in Liberia are respected," the release said.

UNICEF says it intends to support the Government of Liberia and the Ministry of Defense to ensure all children can be treated with dignity and that interactions between the military and children can be done in the best interest of the child and to protect their rights.