Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma by his decree appointed Valentyna Dovzhenko as Minister of Ukraine for Family, Children and Youth Affairs. \n \nThis is reported by the press service of the head of state. \n \nBy another decree, Kuchma dismissed her from the post of head of the State Committee of Ukraine for Family and Youth Affairs. \n \nValentyna Dovzhenko is considered a friend of Lyudmyla Kuchma, which she herself has acknowledged. In the 2002 elections, Dovzhenko headed the "Women for the Future" bloc, which failed to overcome the 4-percent barrier. \n \nAs is known, until Friday, February 6, there was no Ministry of Ukraine for Family, Children and Youth Affairs in Ukraine. Simultaneously with Dovzhenko's appointment, a decree on its creation was issued. \n \nThe ministry was created "with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of the implementation of the main tasks of Ukraine's state policy on family, children and youth issues, the constitutional duty of the state to protect the family, childhood, motherhood and fatherhood, and to ensure the social formation and development of youth." \n \nKuchma also signed a Decree on holding the Year of the Family in Ukraine in 2004. \n \nThis document was issued with the aim of strengthening society's attention to family problems and in connection with the marking in 2004 of the 10th anniversary of the proclamation by the UN General Assembly of the International Year of the Family. \n \nKuchma ordered the holding of the Year of the Family in Ukraine in 2004 and the formation of an Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of the Year of the Family in Ukraine in 2004. Dmytro Tabachnyk C Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine C was appointed as the head of this Organizing Committee. \n