OUAGADOUGOU, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Ted Chaiban, deputy executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has commended Burkina Faso for the progress it has made in the fields of education, health and child well-being, according to a statement issued Thursday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Burkina Faso.

According to the statement, the UN official and his delegation were received in audience on Wednesday afternoon by Burkina Faso's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karamoko Jean Marie Traore. The visit forms part of efforts to strengthen dialogue and consultation with national authorities.

Chaiban particularly praised the advances in education, health and child well-being, while encouraging the continuation of initiatives to reopen schools and promote education in emergency settings.

He also called for stepped-up efforts to withdraw and protect children recruited by terrorist armed groups.

The statement added that UNICEF aims to develop strengthened programs not only at the national level but also from a transnational perspective, bringing together the three member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States, which face common challenges. ■