UNICEF Full Form: History, Objective, Work etc.

UNICEF Full Form: UNICEF is a particular program of the United Nations dedicated to supporting national efforts to improve children’s health, nutrition, education, and general welfare. UNICEF is an abbreviation for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, established in 1946. In 1953, the organization changed its name to the United Nations Children’s Fund to reflect its broader mission but retained the original abbreviation.

UNICEF stands for United Nations Children’s Fund; formerly, it had been called the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. It’s a special program of the United Nations which works for the overall welfare of needy children and mothers across the planet.

UNICEF Overview

Today UNICEF is functioning in more than 190 countries. It works with local communities, business partners, and governments to supply urgent relief aid to needy children and mothers.

History

UNICEF was established 1946 to relieve children in countries devastated after World War II. After 1950 the fund directed its efforts toward general programs to improve children’s welfare, particularly in less-developed countries and various emergencies.

• It was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 11 December 1946 for the welfare of European children after World War ll.
• In 1950, the General Assembly extended its mandate to help needy children and mothers in developing countries.
• In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent United Nations General Assembly member, and its name was shortened to? United Nations Children’s Fund. However, the assembly retained its acronym “UNICEF”.

Mission of UNICEF

UNICEF’s objective is to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, satisfy their basic needs, and provide opportunities for them to reach their full potential, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It stresses the common need for children to live, be safe, and grow, and it gets resources to put children’s health first, especially in poor countries. The main objective of UNICEF is to safeguard children who are most at risk, such as those who are victims of war, natural disasters, poverty, abuse, and disabilities. In certain situations, it acts quickly to protect children’s rights and ease their pain, working with partners to do so in a way that doesn’t favor any one party and focuses on the most disadvantaged. To support gender equality and women and girls’ involvement in community development, UNICEF is dedicated to working toward the goals of sustainable human development and the vision of peace and social progress set out in the UN Charter.

5 Major Problems Faced by the Youngsters

UNICEF believes each child has the proper nutrition, education, health and protection against abuse and exploitation. Accordingly, it focuses on five major problems faced by the youngsters, which are listed below:

• Violence and exploitation
• Hunger
• War
• Disaster
• Disease

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What does UNICEF Work?

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfil their potential from early childhood through adolescence.

• Child protection and inclusion: UNICEF works with partners worldwide to promote policies and expand access to services that protect all children.
• Every child has the right to survive and thrive: UNICEF has helped reduce child mortality worldwide by working to reach the most vulnerable children everywhere.
• Education: UNICEF works worldwide to support quality learning for every girl and boy, especially those in the greatest danger of being left behind.
• Social policy: UNICEF works worldwide to reduce child poverty and shield girls and boys from its lifelong consequences.
• UNICEF in emergencies: UNICEF is on the ground before, during, and after emergencies, working to reach children and families with lifesaving aid and long-term assistance.
• Gender: UNICEF works worldwide to empower girls and women and ensure their full participation in political, social, and economic systems.
• Innovation for children: UNICEF works with partners in every sector to co-create innovative solutions that accelerate progress for children and young people.
• Supply and logistics: UNICEF delivers sustainable access to lifesaving supplies where they are most needed, accelerating results for vulnerable children.
• Research, evidence and analysis: UNICEF delivers sustainable access to lifesaving supplies where they are most needed, accelerating results for the most vulnerable children.

UNICEF in India

• UNICEF has been working for children’s rights and betterment in India since 1949.
• UNICEF globally work with the Indian government, different NGOs and other stakeholders for the proper implementation of programs geared towards the different challenges affecting children.
• Among the main focal points, are health& hygiene, education, child protection as well as water, sanitation, and hygiene as well.
• UNICEF is involved in gender mainstreaming issues and for example, in the 2011 census, UNICEF was central in a training and communication strategy.
• By joining hands with the partners UNICEF helps in the eradication of polio, which led to the removal of India from the list of endemic countries in 2014.
• UNICEF’s contribution to the National Health Mission and Reproductive and Child Health programme was decisive to this reduction.
• UNICEF takes part in efforts to address infant mortality, such as the Call to Action to improve the under-five mortality rates.
• UNICEF works with the Ministry of Women and Children on public announcements keying on the nutritional need of mothers and children that run nationwide.
• UNICEF endorses actions such as the infant welfare plan in India which pays extensive attention to newborn children.

UNICEF’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan

• Promoting the rights of all children around the world is a top priority for UNICEF’s Strategic Plan for 2022–2025. This is in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action.
• It talks about the threats to children’s rights right now, noting a level of danger that hasn’t been seen in a generation.
• The plan is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which focus on children, and gives country programs and National Committees a world context to work within.
• The goals are to help everyone heal from the COVID-19 outbreak, speed up progress toward the SDGs, and make sure that all children are included and their rights are respected.
• Children, communities, states, UN sister agencies, the business sector, civil society, and other partners all had a say in the plan.
• It lists programmatic goals, result areas, change strategies, and drivers, such as new or faster ways of doing things like protecting the environment, mental health, and social safety.
• The plan’s goals will be met by UNICEF, which is present in more than 190 countries and territories and has a lot of experience, field proof, study, and data.
• It will use relationships and its voice to get money, resources, and knowledge from private companies, national governments, and the international development community, including important UN partners.

Conclusion

UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has been working to make children’s lives better around the world since it was founded in 1946. International organization UNICEF works in more than 190 countries to help kids deal with big problems like crime, hunger, war, natural disasters, and illness. UNICEF works to protect children’s rights, promote education, provide basic services, and support gender equality through a number of programs and agreements. With a commitment to sustainable development and global unity, the organization’s Strategic Plan for 2022–2025 stresses how important it is to protect children’s rights right away, especially in light of the risks we face today. It also sets high goals to make sure that all children are included and healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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