Costa Rica has had a visiting queen this week. Mathilde of Belgium, Queen Consort of the Belgians, is making her first trip to a Latin American country. She is doing so as honorary president of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in her country.
The agenda focuses on learning about the policies of the Costa Rican State, Unicef Costa Rica and its partners, in key areas such as the protection of the most vulnerable children. The areas include: education, health (including mental health), resilience and climate change.
“It is an invaluable opportunity to highlight the commitment and actions of the Costa Rican State to promote and ensure compliance with the rights of children and adolescents at the national, regional and international levels,” said Yvette Blanco, representative of the fund in Costa Rica.
Events of the Queen
The first event with the Queen was the reception at the Presidential House and her meeting with the first lady, Signe Zeikate. Also attending were officials from the Ministry of Education, the Mixed Institute of Social Aid (IMAS) and the National Children’s Trust (PANI).
In addition she visits spaces intended for field work with children
Among them are the Casas de la Alegría, which are care spaces for children of migrants who work in coffee plantations. Also, the Safe Space for Children and Adolescents, in Los Guido de Desamparados, which is a model of child protection in vulnerable communities.
In addition, she visits the Child Care and Development Center (Cecudi) of Tirrases, in Curridabat, as part of the National Child Care and Development Network. These centers serve children from 0 to 8 years old, in cooperation with the municipalities.
To close, Queen Mathilde will have two meetings with minors. First there will be an appointment to talk about healthy habits with children and then a session with young people on Climate Change at the University for Peace.
Finally she will visit the Athletic Leagues of the Ministry of Security and Foreign Affairs authorities and Unicef meet with Queen Mathilde in Zapote (UN)
More details about the honor visitor
Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d’Udekem d’Acoz, was born in Uccle, in January 1973. She married in 1999 the then Crown Prince Philip of Belgium, with whom she ascended to the throne as Queen Consort in 2013.
She studied Speech Therapy and later graduated as a psychologist at the Catholic University of Louvain. She speaks French, Flemish, Dutch, English, Italian and a little Spanish. For 16 years, the Queen has worked with UNICEF projects and has visited countries such as Niger, Tanzania, Haiti and Vietnam.
