Refugees and Asylum 31100

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund -UNICEF - was established on 11 December 1946 to meet the emergency needs of children in post-war Europe and China. In 1950, its mandate was broadened to address the long-term needs of children and mothers everywhere and in 1953 UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations. It was then that its name was shortened to the United Nations Children's Fund. However, the original acronym - UNICEF - was retained.

UNICEF currently co-operates with governments and agencies in 161 countries and territories with 125 country offices worldwide and almost 6,000 staff, the vast majority of these in the field.

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Part of this work includes responding rapidly to situations of crisis - helping recreate a sense of stability, reopening schools and establishing safe spaces for children when armed conflict and war, flood and other disruptions occur. It also includes long-term health and education initiatives - helping prevent childhood illness and death, making pregnancy and childbirth safe, combating discrimination and co-operating with communities to ensure that girls as well as boys attend school. UNICEF also works to encourage and enable young people to prepare for and participate in issues affecting their future.

UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring international ethical principles, insisting that the survival, protection and development of children are universal development imperatives that are integral to human progress.

In 1998, the total UNICEF expenditure was $882 million. Of this, 89 per cent was spent on its programmes around the world, 9 per cent went to management and administration and 2 per cent to write-offs and other charges. 62 per cent of this income came from governments. Most of the remaining 38 per cent came from direct fund-raising and through the sale of greeting cards.

To facilitate its work UNICEF operates a research centre in Florence, a supply operation in Copenhagen and offices in Tokyo and Brussels. UNICEF headquarters are in New York. The current Executive Director is Carol Bellamy.

UNICEF produces publications highlighting the situation of children around the world, perhaps the most well know is the annual State of the World's Children report which deals with many subjects including poverty, armed conflict, education, nutrition, child labour, the impact of HIV/AIDS and the need for leadership.

The UNICEF annual publication The Progress of Nations contains comparative statistics, ranking nations according to their fulfilment of child rights and progress for women.

Many of these publications can be read online or ordered through the UNICEF website www.unicef.org

Back to home page

Use browser back button to view more articles in this category