UNICEF Day 2023: Key Highlights

Context: UNICEF Day is celebrated on 11th December to commemorate child rights and increase awareness about protecting child rights. 

About UNICEF Day 2023

• It was on 11th December 1946, that the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund was created to address the needs of children impacted by World War II. Since then, this day has been celebrated as UNICEF Day. 
• This year, the theme for UNICEF Day 2023 is “For every child, every right.”

Learn more about UNICEF Day 2023 here. 

About UNICEF

• Name: UNICEF continued to use its original acronym UNICEF even after its full name was changed to United Nations Children’s Fund in 1953. 
• Presence: It has established its presence in 192 countries and territories worldwide in the 77 years since its founding in 1946. 
• Funding: UNICEF is supported by government funding and individual voluntary donations. 
• Guide: The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, has been the guiding light for UNICEF. 
• Awards: In 1965, UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for ‘Promotion of Brotherhood among nations’. 
• Program: Initially, UNICEF started by focusing on the children in developing countries in the 1960s. However, since then it has expanded its program to also include women’s development and Child Health. 
• Governance Structure: UNICEF became a permanent part of the UN in 1956, and is governed by an Executive Board. 
  • The executive board is elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council and consists of 36 members elected for a three-year term. 

Important Reports by UNICEF

• Flagship reports by UNICEF are ‘The State of the World’s Children’ and ‘UNICEF Annual Report’. 
• Other reports like The Climate-Changed Child have also been published by UNICEF, which focuses on the Children’s Climate Risk Index. 

Must Read: UNICEF Report Highlights Nearly a Billion Children Globally Exposed to Extremely High Water Stress

UNICEF in India

• UNICEF started to work in India in 1949 and has been working with the Ministry of Women and Child Development. 
• It has supported India in various interventions such as Census 2011, Polio Campaign 2012, and India Newborn Action Plan, 2014. 

Strategic Plan (2022-2025) 

• UNICEF’s strategic plan for 2022-2025 reflects UNICEF’s contribution to child-focused Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in all settings.
• It is the first of two sequential plans towards 2030 and it provides a global framework for country programmes and National Committees towards SDG achievement. 

Source: Livemint