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The UN Legal Identity Agenda (UNLIA) advocates for a holistic and lifecycle-oriented approach, wherein a new legal identity is incorporated into the identity system upon birth registration and is subsequently retired from the system upon the individual’s death following death registration. This case study reports on six countries - Bangladesh,…

Despite recent initiatives to better link social protection interventions and civil registration, significant gaps still exist in social protection coverage and birth registration rates, particularly among the most vulnerable and marginalized populations including refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and those at risk of statelessness.…

In 2022, UNICEF scaled up child protection prevention and response programming to address the most significant risk and protective factors across the humanitarian–development–peace nexus. This included strengthening family and parenting support to prevent violence in the home; expanding our work to address online child sexual exploitation and…

Misconduct undermines the effectiveness, credibility and integrity of UNICEF, threatening our ability to meet the needs of children worldwide. All UNICEF personnel – regardless of how they're contracted or where they're stationed – are expected to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Those…, What to report, Sexual exploitation or abuse, In every context in which UNICEF operates, people trust us to assist and protect them. The vast majority of aid workers do so with professionalism and integrity. However, some abuse their position of power through the sexual exploitation or abuse of those who depend on them, including children. Sexual exploitation refers to any actual or attempted…, Sexual harassment in the workplace, Our mission to support children requires a workplace that supports staff. But UNICEF is not yet that workplace for every member of our team. Each year, individuals come forward to share experiences of sexual harassment. We know our measures to prevent this have not reached all corners of our working environment. And one case is one too many. Help…, Abuse of authority, Abuse of authority entails the improper use of a position of influence, power or authority against another person. It may also include behaviour that creates a hostile or offensive work environment, such as intimidation, threats, blackmail or coercion. In the workplace, this is particularly serious when affecting the career or psychological safety…, Fraud or corruption, Worldwide, UNICEF is entrusted with voluntary contributions from governments, businesses and philanthropists seeking to protect children’s rights. We're determined to make every dollar count, and to share openly UNICEF Transparency Portal where our funds come from , UNICEF Transparency Portal where they go , and UNICEF Annual Report what they…, Discrimination or racism, Since its inception, UNICEF has stood firmly against discrimination and racism. But we are not immune. Our personnel relay experiences of discrimination and racism, still, perpetrated by peers. They speak up about hurtful and disrespectful actions that betray our most fundamental values.  We will not accept this. UNICEF has one of the most diverse…, Harassment or bullying, Harassment in the workplace can take many forms – words, gestures or actions that tend to alarm, intimidate or belittle another person, including bullying. Overall, any unwelcome conduct that might be expected or perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another may constitute harassment, especially when it interferes with work or creates an…, Conflict of interest, A conflict of interest arises when, by act or omission, staff members’ personal interests cause them to discharge their official duties and responsibilities in a manner inconsistent with the interests of UNICEF.  UNICEF recognizes that engagement in outside activities may enhance personal well-being and professional development, even to the…, Retaliation, All UNICEF personnel have a duty to report any breach of the UN Charter; the UN Staff Regulations and Rules; the Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service; and any of UNICEF’s regulations, rules and internal policies, to officials formally designated to receive such reports by UNICEF or the UN. Anyone who submits such a report has…, All other concerns, For issues related to performance management, interpersonal conflicts or other workplace concerns, learn where to turn. UNICEF provides confidential informal and formal channels for seeking guidance, support and resolution. How to report -->, How to report, UNICEF Office of Internal Audit and Investigations, The Office of Internal Audit and Investigations (OIAI) conducts independent, fact-based investigations into allegations of misconduct, fraud and other violations of UNICEF rules, regulations and policies. OIAI’s mission is to investigate reports of misconduct with professionalism, impartiality and fairness towards all parties, as well as to ensure…, UNICEF Ethics Office, The Ethics Office nurtures a culture of integrity and accountability to enhance trust in and credibility within UNICEF and the UN system. Founded on independence, impartiality and confidentiality, this team is responsible for providing advice and guidance, training and outreach, and policy input. They also administer UNICEF’s Policy on Whistle-…, UNICEF Human Resources, UNICEF's Division of Human Resources works with HR practitioners, partners and clients globally to ensure that UNICEF personnel are provided with the work environment and support they need to give their best for every child. HR supports personnel with conduct-related matters by issuing and advising on relevant policies and procedures (including…, Office of the Ombudsmen for United Nations Funds and Programmes, The Office of the Ombudsmen offers dedicated, informal dispute-resolution services to all UNICEF personnel, in addition to personnel from UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS and UN Women. The office is a strictly confidential and neutral place to discuss workplace issues and explore options for addressing conflicts. It operates independently from UNICEF…, Know your rights when reporting wrongs, Right to be protected against retaliation, UNICEF’s policy on whistle-blower protections sets out measures against retaliation for individuals who report misconduct, provide information in good faith on alleged wrongdoing, or cooperate with an authorized inspection.  All UNICEF personnel have a duty to report any breach of the UN Charter; the UN Staff Regulations and Rules; the Standards…, Right to report confidentially, All UNICEF personnel have the right to report suspected wrongdoing confidentially. Reports made to the Ethics Office and the Office of the Ombudsmen are strictly confidential and will not be shared without your express consent. The Office of Internal Audit and Investigation operates under need-to-know confidentiality, meaning the information you…, Right to receive support, If you’re seeking encouragement through the reporting process, or guidance to better understand our duty to report, you’re not alone. UNICEF staff worldwide have teamed up as Peer Support Volunteers, Staff Representatives and Ethics Champions to provide informal and confidential support to colleagues who may have experienced, or suspect they’ve…, UNICEF's work to prevent wrongdoing, FAQs, I’m not ready to report, but I’d like informal guidance. Where can I go? Can I report anonymously? Are whistle-blowers protected from retaliation?  What should I do if I believe I’ve been retaliated against? Where can I find annual reports from UNICEF’s Ethics Office? Where can I find more information on UNICEF's efforts to prevent wrongdoing in…

Browse, filter and search UNICEF's internal audit reports.

Learn about a key component of UNICEF’s independent internal oversight system.

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…

Society first acknowledges a child’s existence and identity through birth registration.

Every child has the right to a legal identity, but a quarter of children born today do not “officially” exist. These children are deprived of birth certificates – their first legal proof of identity – simply because their parents cannot afford it, cannot reach it, or face some other barrier to learning about and accessing registration services.…, A birth certificate is proof of,   Because children without a birth certificate are unable to prove their age, they are more vulnerable to violence, abuse and exploitation. These girls and boys risk being trafficked, recruited into armed forces, or forced into early marriage or child labour . If they come into contact with the justice system , they may be prosecuted as adults and…, Why aren’t some children being registered at birth?, A number of factors keep children from being registered. Most unregistered children live in poorer households – often in rural areas with limited access to registration services, or in the more than 100 countries without fully functioning civil registration systems. Cost is a significant barrier: Many families cannot afford to travel to…, UNICEF’s response, A 5-year-old girl in Serbia paints in her kindergarten classroom, wide smile across her face, in 2016. In the village of Krasava in Serbia, 5-year-old Dejana Ametovic paints in kindergarten in 2016. Half of the children between 3 and 5 years old in Serbia do not attend kindergarten – many of whom come from vulnerable groups and have not had their…, More from UNICEF, Resources, CRVSID Case Studies Reaching Children with a holistic approach Reaching Children with a Holistic Approach UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: COVID-19 Technical Guidance Birth Registration: UNICEF Data Birth Registration for Every Child by 2030: Are We on Track? Status of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in South Asian Countries Birth…

In some countries, birth registration is taken for granted as the norm following childbirth. But in too many others, it is a critical step missing to establish a child’s legal proof of identity. Without it, children are invisible to their governments, meaning they could miss out on their rights being protected and upheld, as well as essential…

This publication presents the latest available country data and global and regional estimates of the number of unregistered children worldwide. It also assesses progress over time and presents evidence for the amount of investment that will be needed – at both global and regional levels – to achieve universal birth registration by 2030. The…, December 2019, 1 Birth Registration for Every Child by 2030:Are we on track? United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring, December 2019 Permission is required to reproduce any part of this publication. Permission will be freely granted to educational or non-profit organizations. To request permission or for any…

NEW YORK, 11 December 2019 – The number of children whose births are officially registered has increased significantly worldwide, yet 166 million children under-five, or 1 in 4, remain unregistered, according to a new report released by UNICEF today on its own 73 rd birthday. Birth Registration for Every Child by 2030: Are we on track? – which…