Portugal’s minister of labour, solidarity and social security has told Lusa that she will meet in New York with the minister of social policies of Ukraine, for a review of the program of integration and reception of Ukrainians in Portugal.
Ana Mendes Godinho told Lusa on Monday at the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in New York that she will take advantage of the meeting with the Ukrainian minister to reaffirm Portugal’s willingness to collaborate with Kyiv.
“The aim of the meeting is to take stock of the programme of integration and reception of Ukrainian citizens in Portugal and, of course, maintain our full availability to collaborate with the Ukrainian government in everything it needs from the point of view of integration and reception of Ukrainian citizens and also Ukrainian children,” the Portuguese minister said.
“Since the beginning (of the conflict), we have been in contact with the Ukrainian government in this regard and, therefore, it will be an opportunity to make an assessment of how this integration of workers in Portugal has been going on,” she added.
Ana Mendes Godinho will participate in the 61st session of the Commission for Social Development of the department of economic and social affairs of the United Nations, at a meeting focused on the themes of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, post-pandemic challenges, dignified work, combating inequalities and dialogue between generations.
Portugal will take the opportunity to defend “the need to clearly focus on the enhancement of work as a key piece in the fight against inequalities” and will also present the “Childhood Guarantee programme that is being implemented in Portugal”, according to the minister.
Among the meetings that Ana Mendes Godinho will hold in New York, highlight goes to meetings with the former director-general of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Guy Ryder; and with the deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed.