A broad-based international team of over 140 participants, including 25 adolescent gills and boys from 16 countries, will meet in the city today for a week-long international review on Meeting the Development and Participation Rights of Adolescent Girls'.

Minister lor Women and Children Affairs Khurshid Jahan Huq will inaugurate (he meeting al Sonargaon Hotel. Statu Minister for Youth and Sports Fazlur Rahman and Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Mahfuzul Islam will be present as special guests on the occasion.

UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO have jointly organised the meeting marking a major step forward for building practical partnership among governments, development partners and adolescents, a UNICEF press release said.

1 his global effort is supported by the United Nations Foundation to lend impetus to initiatives in developing countries for realising the rights of adolescent girls through a global project.

The resident representatives of UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO in Dhaka Morten Giersing. Dr Suneeta Mukherjee and Sunity Acharya will touch upon their common interests and commitments in realising the rights of adolescents at the opening session.

According to UNICEF, the meeting focuses on active partici-

pat ion of adolescents at every stage from planning, implementation to monitoring and evaluation.

The outcome of a review held in the city yesterday is geared towards future directions for global work on the adolescents and building networks as well as connections between countries and organising partners.

More importantly, exchange of ideas and experience among adolescents. who bring fresh vitality and outlook will enable them to actively participate in decisions affecting their lives and society at large, the press release said.

Recognising the reality of adolescent girls, the United Nations I oundation has come forward to support initiatives in developing countries for realising the development and participation rights of adolescent girls through a global project.

The project initially supported the countries through UNICEF field offices in assessing the situation of adolescents and designing interventions applicable to the particular context of the country.