Children's rights

Seventy-four years after UNICEF was established and 31 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the organization’s mission to promote the full attainment of the rights of all children is as urgent as ever.  The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2018-2021 is anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and charts a course…, In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed an era-defining challenge which has put a sobering spotlight on inequalities in every country, laying bare the increasing risk to children growing up in poverty, exclusion or conflict.  The most harmful effects have fallen on the poorest countries and communities. Those that were already marginalized and…, Ending child poverty by 2030, Icon representing poverty - child with an empty bowl 1 in 6 children in the world is living in extreme poverty Icon representing children - boy and girl holding hands Nearly 20% of children under 5 are extremely poor, compared to 7.9% of adults Icon representing chart - bar graph 1.2 billion children are estimated to be multidimensionally poor, up…, Child poverty in fragile contexts, While COVID-19 has had fundamental impacts on increasing child poverty, underlying threats of conflict, fragility and climate change are also crucial long-term drivers. About 40 percent of children who live in fragile and conflict-affected countries live in extreme poverty compared to 15 percent of children in other countries. With the impacts of…, Public finance for children, Icon representing government building - building with flag flying In 124 UNICEF country offices as part of the COVID-19 response, UNICEF worked with governments, development partners and International Financial Institutions to protect and leverage resources for children  Icon representing country office - shape of undefined country In 119…, Making public spending on children’s rights more efficient and effective, The COVID-19 crisis has created major pressure on public budgets and social sector spending as governments faced decreased revenues and increased pressure on spending for pandemic response. Focusing on efficiency and effectiveness of public budgets during the COVID-19 response and recovery has been key to ensure the sustainability of social sector…, Strengthening social protection systems, Icon representing cash transfer - hands protecting child 115 countries were supported with building inclusive and shock-responsive social protection systems supporting emergency responses Icon representing children - boy and girl holding hands Over 130.7 million children in 93 countries were reached through UNICEF-supported cash transfer…, UNICEF's support to build social protection systems, Supporting childcare and adolescent employability, UNICEF works towards enhancing quality childcare services and family-friendly policies, particularly for working mothers; and improving access to employment, job-placement and skills-development programmes for adolescents and youth. COVID-19 further increased the care burden on women and adolescent girls given that schools, childcare centres and…, Linking humanitarian cash transfers to social protection systems, Children in fragile and humanitarian contexts face additional vulnerabilities and strengthening social protection in these contexts is particularly important. For the first time, UNICEF has included social protection in its Core Commitments for Children in humanitarian contexts and worked in almost 80 countries to help ensure their social…, Promoting positive gender norms and socialization, Icon representing social norms - a man and a woman with a rainbow over their heads 49 UNICEF country programmes carried out interventions to confront gender-discriminatory roles and norms and promote positive gender socialization Icon representing children without parental care - two protective hands around a heart An estimated 2.6 million mothers…, Supporting children with disabilities to reach their full potential, Icon representing children with disabilities - child in a wheelchair 2.2 million children with disabilities across 144 countries reached with UNICEF disability-inclusive development and humanitarian programmes  Icon representing computer connected to the internet Over 152,000 children provided with assistive technology (AT) and accessible products…, Furthering inclusive education, Disability-inclusive education means that all children and adolescents with disabilities can enjoy their right to education on an equal basis with their peers. UNICEF works with partners to promote accessible and inclusive learning spaces and materials. More importantly, it works with teachers and school administrations to promote inclusive…, Reducing stigma and invisibility through advocacy and communication, Stigma and discrimination are key barriers to inclusion of girls and boys with disabilities. UNICEF works to transform attitudes and social norms around disability to support the full inclusion of children with disabilities in society. The COVID-19 crisis shifted many priorities and created an urgent need for inclusive Risk-Communication and…, Supporting adolescents to engage in shaping their future, Icon representing skills development - pencil and wrench 7.7 million children over 3.2 million girls – participated in UNICEF-supported skills development, empowerment and employability training programmes  Icon representing gender quality - male and femal symbols with equals symbol 61 countries supported to institutionalize gender-equitable…, Building skills and capacities of adolescents, UNICEF approaches skills-building by strengthening systems to integrate life skills into education systems, using community platforms to reach the most disadvantaged, working with adults to support adolescents and young people, applying experiential and innovative approaches, and using digital platforms. YuWaah - Generation Unlimited India YuWaah…, Looking forward, A young woman standing in a classroom in front of a blackboard A boy standing in front of solar panels and waving A girl standing in front of a white wall with colourful butterflies and flowers painted on it UNICEF will define its next Strategic Plan in 2021 addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic while contributing to accelerate the…, With thanks, This report highlights the achievements made possible by the generous contributions of softly earmarked thematic funding received from various partners. UNICEF would like to express it's sincere appreciation for these contributions. June 2021, Global Annual Results Report 2020 GOAL AREA 5 Every child has an equitable chance in life Cover image: UNICEF/UNI389019/Mussap Telma Paz, 36 years old, and her children, 11, 9 and 4 years old, benefit from the Bono Familia programme granted by the Government of Guatemala, with support from UNICEF and the World Bank. Telma sells pancakes and works…

More than 70 years after UNICEF was established, the organization’s mission to promote the full attainment of the rights of all children is as urgent as ever. The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2018–2021 is anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and charts a course towards attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and the realization…, Building on the principle of leaving no one behind, results under UNICEF Goal Area 5 focuses on tackling key dimensions of discrimination and inequity that prevent the realization of children’s rights, while contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).   Goal Area 5 works to reduce child poverty, including by influencing public…, Results, The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) calls on States to guarantee the right of every child to social security and ‘a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development’. UNICEF Goal Area 5 programming aims to ensure that every child has a fair chance in life, by reducing child poverty,…, Child Poverty, Despite remarkable progress in poverty reduction globally in the past two decades, progress to reduce child poverty has stalled  in many parts of the world, particularly in regions plagued by conflict or unstable governance. Living in poverty profoundly impacts the full range of children’s rights, diminishing their life chances and ability to…, Public finance for children, Children’s rights can only be realized if states enact effective policies, legislation and programmes, and use public budgets to support implementation. The work UNICEF has done on Public Finance for Children (PF4C) supports countries to meet their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by influencing governments to…, Promoting sustainable investment on child rights, UNICEF works to ensure adequate expenditure on sectors and services that contribute to the realization of child rights in 84 countries. UNICEF uses evidence-based approaches to identify potential areas for flexibility so that funds can be directed towards social spending without jeopardizing the sustainability of current and future budgets. In…, Social Protection, UNICEF’s social protection work is focused on addressing financial barriers to children’s rights to education, health, nutrition and income security, and in supporting social protection system design to ensure it is inclusive and responds to protection risks and opportunities. In 2019, UNICEF continued working with governments to helps strengthen…, Gender Equality, A child wearing a toy medical kit sits on the floor of an Early Childhood Devleopment Centre in Bangladesh A critical barrier standing in the way towards greater equality is entrenched discriminatory gender norms. These norms and modes of behaviour govern every aspect of a child’s growing years – from how they dress, what they eat, how much girls…, Children with Disabilities, Globally, at least 10 per cent of all children have disabilities. Children with disabilities are one of the most excluded and marginalized groups,  and often face multiple challenges in realising their human rights. Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and aligned to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD),…, Furthering inclusive education, social policy and services, UNICEF has made considerable advancements advocating for and implementing inclusive programmes and services to ensure children with disabilities enjoy the same rights as their peers. Graphic representing disabilities 13,722 children with disabilities provided with assistive devices and 124,287 were reached through accessible emergency kits Graphic…, Adolescent Participation and Civic Engagement, "We showed that we are united and that we, young people, are unstoppable" Greta Thunberg, United Nations Youth Climate Summit, New York City, 21 September 2019 Adolescents (between the ages of 10 and 19) number 1.2 billion in the world today, making up 16 per cent of the world’s population. When adolescents are civically engaged, they individually…, Looking forward, The COVID-19 pandemic was in its initial stages at the end of 2019. It is now clear that the global crisis triggered by the pandemic is unprecedented. The effects of the pandemic are not limited to health but extend across the full range of children’s rights especially for the most disadvantaged, who are disproportionately impacted by the…, Global Annual Results Report 2019 GOAL AREA 5 Every child has an equitable chance in life Cover image: UNICEF/Zambia/2020/Schermbrucker Nola, a six-year-old living in Zambia, whose grandmother, Albertina, is the recipient of a UNICEF-supported cash transfer programme. In 2019, Zambia experienced below-normal rainfall, leading to widespread crop…

Goal Area 3 aims to ensure that every girl and boy is protected from violence and exploitation in keeping with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and supports the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular Goals 5, 8 and 16. Two years into implementation of the UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2018–2021, Goal…, The year 2019 commemorated the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and celebrated the progress since that time. The last two decades saw a rise in birth registration levels globally with about 3 in 4 children under age 5 registered today compared to 6 in 10 around 2000. The prevalence of female…, Results, In 2019, UNICEF worked in over 150 countries in its efforts to protect children against violence and exploitation and reached 17 per cent more children who experienced violence with health, social work or justice and law enforcement services, compared to 2018, with a roughly even split between girls and boys. Progress rate by output area -…, Strengthening child protection systems to reduce violence against children, Graphic representing affected population 2.3 million mothers, fathers and caregivers reached through parenting programmes in 79 countries (+10%) Graphic representing violence against children 2.7 million children who have experienced violence reached by services in 115 countries (+17%) "Violence against children (VAC) encompasses all forms of…, Accelerating national progress to reduce all forms of violence, In 2019, UNICEF intensified efforts to scale up evidence-based violence prevention interventions and institutionalize response services to child victims of violence in 141 countries, a 5 per cent increase from the countries reporting in 2018. A panel from the Comic book that won UNICEF's global comic book contest Rizka Comic superhero Cipta to…, Strengthening the social service workforce, There is a moderate yet steady increase in the number of countries reporting progress to strengthen their Social Service Workforce (SSW), increasing from 114 countries reporting in 2017 to 137 countries in 2019. UNICEF stepped up support to governments to institutionalize workforce development, including notably in Afghanistan, Argentina, Bhutan,…, Strengthening information management systems, UNICEF recognizes integrated Information Management Systems (IMS) as a critical component of strengthening child protection systems. UNICEF and partners manage three types of protection-related data: case management, incident monitoring and programme monitoring. These data are interrelated and essential to the success of any child protection…, Child protection in humanitarian action, Child protection in humanitarian action achieved breakthrough results in 2019 on many critical fronts. UNICEF provided protective services to millions of children affected by armed conflict, natural disasters and public health emergencies in 74 humanitarian situations. As a leading voice for children, adolescents, parents and caregivers, UNICEF…, Mental health and psychosocial support, UNICEF took major steps to prioritize Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for children, adolescents, mothers, fathers and caregivers. UNICEF provided more than 3.7 million children and adolescents in 60 humanitarian situations with community-based MHPSS, up 3 per cent compared to 2018. The organization increasingly prioritizes…, Monitoring grave violations, UNICEF engages with United Nations partners to monitor and report grave violations of children’s rights in armed conflict including killing and maiming, recruitment and use, abduction and sexual violence. In 2019, over 25,000 grave violations were verified across 20 countries through the monitoring and reporting mechanism co-chaired by UNICEF.…, Reintegrating children associated with armed forces and armed groups, Reintegration is a long-term process intended to enable children to transition from armed forces and groups to their families and communities. Across 19 countries, UNICEF provided a range of care and services including specialized family tracing, psychosocial support, recreational activities, and economic reintegration, education and life-skills…, Mine action and explosive weapons, Children represent more than half the civilian casualties of landmines and explosive remnants of war, a 12 per cent rise from 2016. To reverse casualty trends and strengthen victim assistance, UNICEF scaled up its mine action programming to 23 countries (from 20 in 2018), including in Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of Iran and Libya in 2019. In all…, Gender-based violence in emergencies, Across 46 countries, UNICEF supported 3.3 million women, girls and boys with Gender- Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE) response, prevention and risk mitigation activities, reaching over 150 per cent more people than in 2018., Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, Children and women are disproportionately at risk for sexual abuse and exploitation (SEA) in humanitarian settings. In 2019, UNICEF doubled the organization’s protection efforts to reach 32 countries across six regions, up from 16 countries in 2018.   In 2019, 8.9 million children and adults could access a UNICEF-supported SEA reporting channel, a…, Unaccompanied and separated children, In 2019, UNICEF and partners registered around 94,500 unaccompanied and separated children in humanitarian situations across 50 countries. Overall, 58 per cent of unaccompanied and separated children targeted and registered for UNICEF support were reunited with their families or received family-based care or appropriate alternative services.  , Children on the move, UNICEF reached nearly 1.75 million ‘children on the move’ in 61 countries with protective services and supports national authorities to mainstream policy and programming into national child protection systems strengthening frameworks. UNICEF supported 33 countries to end the immigration detention of children in law, policy and practice. UNICEF…, Delivery of protection services to reduce harmful practices, Despite the significant decline in recent years in the prevalence of child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), the overall numbers remain high. To eliminate harmful practices by 2030 (SDG 5.3), progress needs to be dramatically accelerated. A girl in a girl guides uniform in Malyasia holding a sign saying "let girls be girls, not brides…, Child marriage, In 2019, UNICEF and partners supported 58 countries across all regions to implement rights-based interventions aimed at ending child marriage. While child marriage occurs among both boys and girls, the prevalence is about six times higher among girls. Partnering with boys and men in gender equality is crucial to ending child marriage. Girls’…, Female Genital Mutilation, UNICEF contributed to important successes to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in 21 countries where FGM programmes are being implemented. UNICEF is working towards strengthening interventions such as building girls’ and women’s agency to claim their rights, advancing gender equality by engaging men and boys, improving community…, Promoting access to justice for children, Ma July Moe (2-week) at the lunching ceremony on mobile birth and death registration event at Royal Hintha Hotel, Mawlamyaing. 21.7 million Birth registrations for children between 0 –17 A young man using a sewing machine 278,000 Children have benefited from access to justice interventions in 65 countries Strengthening justice systems for children…, Improving birth registration, The right of a child to be registered and have a legal identity is enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF supported 80 countries – with over half (51 per cent) located in Eastern and Southern Africa and West and Central Africa – to strengthen their civil registration and vital statistics systems (CRVS). The year 2019 saw a…, Children without parental care, The year 2019 was a watershed moment for care reform globally. The landmark United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution on children without parental care provided the unprecedented opportunity to advance the care reform agenda globally, including within the disabilities community. UNICEF supported 106 countries across all regions to drive…, Looking forward, The year 2020 marks the  seventy-forth anniversary of UNICEF; normally an occasion to celebrate all the progress in child rights to date. Instead, the year started with the worst global health crisis the world has encountered in modern history with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.   The devastating socio-economic impacts of the pandemic will…, Global Annual Results Report 2019 GOAL AREA 3 Every child is protected from violence and exploitation Cover image: UNICEF/UNI218101/Htet Ma July Moe (2 weeks) at a launching ceremony on mobile birth and death registration services in Mawlamyine District, Mon State, Myanmar. In 2019, the first ever electronic birth registration took place in Mon…