Global

At the start of 2024, we stand at a critical juncture: Geopolitical tensions are escalating, economic integration is unravelling, and multilateral cooperation is faltering. This global fragmentation threatens to undermine decades of progress made for children worldwide. The choices we make today – whether to continue on this path or whether we…

FLORENCE/NEW YORK, 6 December 2023 – Some of the world’s richest countries experienced sharp rises in child poverty between 2014 and 2021, according to data published today by UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight.  Report Card 18: Child Poverty in the Midst of Wealth – the latest in the series looking at children’s well-being…

I'm from Argentina, a country that has had many economic problems for as long as I can remember. According to a UNICEF Argentina study, two out of every three children in Argentina are poor or deprived of basic rights, which means there is many people living in low-income neighborhoods who cannot cope with heat waves or floods. Clearly, the…

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON D.C., 13 September 2023 – An estimated 333 million children globally – or 1 in 6 – live in extreme poverty, according to new UNICEF-World Bank analysis released today. Global Trends in Child Monetary Poverty According to International Poverty Lines – which for the first time looks at trends in extreme child poverty – finds that…

UNICEF’s Position Paper on Leveraging Nutrition and Social Protection Programming to address Malnutrition and Poverty, including in Fragile and Humanitarian Contexts describes the rationale for purposively integrating nutrition and social protection programmes. It explains why a collaborative response matters for children and women. The Position…

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

Ending child poverty: A policy agenda

For more than 15 years UNICEF has been at the forefront of measuring, monitoring, and addressing child poverty. This document provides an overview of UNICEF's role and commitment to ending child poverty and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It outlines UNICEF's key areas of expertise in child poverty alongside country examples covering…

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…, 1 in 6 children in the world is living in extreme poverty Nearly 20% of children under 5 are extremely poor, compared to 7.9% of adults 100 million additional children are estimated to be living in multidimensional poverty as a result of the pandemic, a 10 per cent increase since 2019 Child poverty has devastating consequences for children,…, portrait-girl Public finance for children, In 137 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  In 65 countries supported national governments to strengthen social sector budgets for better and increased investments for children  In 96…, portrait-girl Strengthening social protection systems, Only 1 in 4 children currently has any access to a child or family benefit Nearly 133 million children in 95 countries were reached through UNICEF-supported cash transfer programmes 115 countries were supported with building inclusive and shock-responsive social protection systems supporting emergency responses Social protection has continued to…, girls-football-match Promoting positive gender norms and socialization, 94 UNICEF Country Programmes across all regions included concrete gender equality objectives 64 UNICEF Country Offices  carried out interventions to confront gender discriminatory roles and norms and promote positive gender socialization 3 million mothers, fathers and caregivers were reached across 94 countries  To promote positive gender norms…, big-sister-carry-younger-sister Supporting children with disabilities to reach their full potential, 4.8 million children with disabilities across 148 countries reached with UNICEF disability-inclusive development and humanitarian programmes Over 134,000 children provided with assistive technology (AT) and accessible products, exceeding the 2021 target of 95,200 55 per cent of UNICEF country offices systematically included children with…, young-women-outside Supporting adolescents to engage in shaping their future, Adolescent Participation and Civic Engagement 19,500,000 adolescents (54 per cent girls) engaged in UNICEF programmes across 125 countries in humanitarian and development settings 5,700,000 adolescents  engaged specifically in UNICEF programmes in humanitarian action and more than one million in climate change advocacy. 92 per cent of UNICEF…, girl-hugging-globe Looking forward, Looking ahead, UNICEF is sharpening the focus of this Goal Area with a focus on reducing child poverty, revamping and reaffirming our focus on public finance for an inclusive recovery, and expanding access to inclusive social protection, including in humanitarian crises and fragile contexts. Strengthening social protection systems’ capacities to…,    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 contribution, Read more and support our work, June 2022, Global Annual Results Report 2021 GOAL AREA 5 Every child has an equitable chance in life Cover image: UNICEF/UNI388995/Mussapp As part of the response to COVID-19, UNICEF and the World Bank supported the Government of Guatemala with the design and implementation of Bono Familia, an unconditional emergency cash transfer programme to support the…

UNICEF has long advocated and provided technical support for measuring child poverty and developing national responses to reduce it. This includes promoting monetary child poverty analysis which can lead to tangible results in the lives of children living in poverty. This note provides guidance to expand the child poverty analytical toolbox, with…

“The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been widespread and disproportionately affected vulnerable segments of the population, including children and their families. The modest progress made in reducing child poverty has been reversed in all parts of the world by COVID-19. Impact of COVID-19 on the welfare of households with children – a joint…

NEW YORK, 10 March 2022 – At least two thirds of households with children have lost income since the COVID-19 pandemic hit two years ago, according to a new report published today by UNICEF and the World Bank. Impact of COVID-19 on the welfare of households with children – which presents findings from data collected in 35 countries – notes that…