Global

Climate change is disrupting weather patterns, leading to more frequent and more intense extreme weather events, unpredictable water availability, exacerbating water scarcity and contaminating water supplies. Such impacts can drastically affect the quantity and quality of water that children need to survive. Today, a change in climate is felt…

Climate change threatens the lives, health and well-being of children. They are the most vulnerable to its effects, and those who live in low-income communities are at particularly high risk of harm. To save and protect lives and prevent climate change’s worst impacts on children, we need to act now. There are clear, practical solutions that work…, Paving the way for a climate resilient education system in India, A group of students using polybags from waste and fill them with field soil to grow the saplings for school nursery  during environmental activities session at a school in Maharashtra, India India, 2023. Students use polybags from waste and fill them with field soil to grow saplings for their school nursery as part of an environmental activities…, Early detection of groundwater depletion in Madagascar, The semi-arid southern region of Madagascar has been hit hard by years of severe droughts, which has left more than 4.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The region has the country’s lowest water supply coverage, which is further exacerbated by climate change. The lack of rainfall and other environmental factors have also affected…, Innovations in climate risk reduction in Venezuela, A boy, 10, collects safe water at the UNICEF-installed solar-powered water treatment plant in Venezuela Venezuela, 2023. Dahir Franco, 10,collects safe water at the UNICEF-installed solar-powered water treatment plant in San Francisco de Guayo, Venezuela. Disaster risk reduction is an essential element of responding to climate change as children…, Reducing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from sanitation in Kampala, Uganda, Two masons construct a new pit latrine with a bathroom in a village in Uganda. Uganda, 2022. Two masons construct a new municipality-approved pit latrine with a bathroom, for a commercial structure in Mukono, Uganda. Climate change and sanitation are intrinsically connected. Poorly managed sanitation emits significant greenhouse gas (GHG)…

NEW YORK, 13 November 2023 – 1 in 3 children – or 739 million worldwide – already live in areas exposed to high or very high water scarcity, with climate change threatening to make this worse, according to a new UNICEF report. Further, the double burden of dwindling water availability and inadequate drinking water and sanitation services is…

The way we conduct business anywhere in the world impacts children. Workplace conditions, terms of labour and employment – even pricing and policies that limit the ability of parents to provide for their families: Each of these business decisions has consequences for children's well-being. In some cases, practices that do not violate adults’…, Key facts, Over 1 billion children are touched by global business supply chains directly or indirectly, through their impact on families. Around 160 million children were subjected to child labour in 2020, with millions more at risk since the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 800 million mothers worldwide are not adequately protected with leave and cash benefits in…, Topics in child rights and business, Child playing Finance and investing, Investors need to be cautious of making investments in companies with business practices that may cause harm to children. UNICEF works with partners to develop practical guidance and tools for investors to assess a business’s performance based on how their practices support children’s rights. >>Read: Investor Guidance on Integrating Children…, Young child holding mobile phone Child rights in a digital world, An estimated one in three internet users globally is a child. Wider access to digital technologies poses significant risks to children, both offline and online. UNICEF collaborates with governments and technology companies – from online gaming to mobile operators – to keep children safe online. We focus on ending online child sexual exploitation…, Mothers, breastfeeding Supply chains and the workplace, Supply chains and the workplace can impact children in a number of ways. Related rights issues include poor living conditions, environmental pollution and hazards, and insufficient services and care for maternal health.  UNICEF promotes family-friendly policies that can offer parents and caregivers the time, resources and services they need to…, A child holding a slate in school State action on child rights, Although businesses are responsible for the impact of their activities on children's rights, the ultimate accountability lies with authorities at national and global levels. Governments have specific obligations to realize children’s rights when it comes to regulating business operations. >>Read: Children's Rights in National Action Plans on…, What we do, In 2012, UNICEF launched Children's Rights and Business Principles alongside Save the Children and the UN Global Compact. These principles look at the impact businesses have on children and ways to address them. UNICEF has engaged businesses in over 70 countries, collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, including industry associations,…, Publications and resources

Water shortages are a major risk in urban areas – including secondary towns and cities – around the world. This Guidance Note was created in response to that risk and describes the implications on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programming for UNICEF staff and partners, with suggested interventions. It highlights the dynamic threat of urban…

This Guidance Note explores the drivers of water scarcity, and outlines programme principles and programmatic actions to guide WASH programming to help ensure water security for children and their families, with suggested actions at global, regional, national and local levels. Underlying this is the understanding that programmes can no longer…

Today, 1.42 billion people – including 450 million children – live in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability. Less than 3 per cent of the world’s water resources is freshwater, and it is growing increasingly scarce. Decades of misuse, poor management, over-extraction of groundwater and contamination of freshwater supplies have…

Conditions of employment not only have a significant impact on the well-being of workers but also their children and families. Yet, for the hundreds of millions of workers in global supply chains, basic entitlements that provide them with the time, services and resources to support their families are widely absent. The large-scale business…

Investor support to better take into account children’s rights in investment policies, processes and decision-making.

Balancing child online rights between empowerment and protection.

Detailed advice for companies committed to considering the experiences of children along the digital marketing value chain.

Solar pumps bring safe water to displaced in Afghanistan.