UNICEF and the Government of Turkmenistan held a series of consultations on strengthening the use of public finance data to better plan, monitor and improve investments for children. The consultations took place during the mission of Mr. Ulugbek Olimov, Social Sector Financing Specialist from the UNICEF Global Centre of Excellence.

The mission included consultations with senior officials and technical specialists from the Ministries of Finance and Economy, Labour and Social Protection of the Population, Education, and Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, as well as a two-day technical workshop with representatives of social sector ministries.

The discussions examined how existing budget classifications, reporting systems and expenditure data can be used to better understand investments in areas critical for children’s well-being, including early childhood development, preschool education, social protection and primary health care. Partners also discussed possible pilot areas for social expenditure analysis and ways to strengthen coordination across ministries.

Sector-specific consultations helped identify practical entry points for further analysis. In education, partners explored spending related to preschool education and school readiness programmes. In health, primary health care was discussed as a potential pilot area for expenditure optimization. In social protection, attention was given to planning, expenditure analysis and the expansion of social services. With the Ministry of Finance and Economy, discussions focused on budget classification, reporting practices and opportunities to improve tracking of public investments for children.

The two-day technical workshop introduced practical approaches to child-responsive budgeting and social expenditure analysis. Participants reviewed available data sources, mapped expenditure categories, discussed possible pilot sectors and explored coordination mechanisms to support evidence-informed public finance decisions.

The mission concluded with a meeting at the Ministry of Finance and Economy with the Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, where next steps for continued technical cooperation were discussed. The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of UNICEF and the Government of Turkmenistan to using evidence and data to guide public finance decisions. “As Turkmenistan advances towards the Sustainable Development Goals and prepares its Voluntary National Review for presentation in 2027, this process provides an important opportunity to strengthen results-based public financing and enhance the effectiveness of public investments,” noted Mr. Perhat Yagshiyev, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy during the meeting.

 UNICEF will continue supporting national efforts to strengthen child-focused public finance systems, including through practical tools, technical dialogue and capacity development, to help improve outcomes for children and families across the country.