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Abbreviation | UNICEF UK |
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Formation | 1956 |
Type | National committee |
Legal status | Active |
Headquarters | London, UK |
Head | Jon Sparkes CEO 2022 |
Parent organization | UNICEF |
Website | www |
UNICEF UK, also known as the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF national committees based in industrialised countries. The national committees raise funds for the organisation's worldwide emergency and development work.
Internationally, UNICEF is the leading children's organisation, reaching children in more than 150 Less Developed Countries around the world. It works with local communities, organisations and governments to improve the lives of children. [1] The organisation's global reach allows it to share knowledge across borders, while its local presence – over 85 per cent of UNICEF staff work in developing countries – means it can deliver assistance where it is needed most. [2] UNICEF believes that every child should have clean water, food, health care, education, and a safe environment in which to grow up. The organisation upholds the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and works to hold the international community responsible for their promises to children. [3]
UNICEF is not funded by the UN. Instead, it relies on voluntary donations to fund its work for children worldwide. UNICEF UK raises funds for these programmes through donations, the sale of cards and gifts, partnerships with companies and special events. UNICEF UK is a registered charity. [1] UNICEF UK also advocates for lasting change for children. For example, it works to change government policies and practices that are detrimental to children's rights in the UK and internationally. [4]
Jon Sparkes was appointed CEO in January 2022. [5]
Actress6Olivia Colman. who became an official Unicef UK Ambassador in 2019, was appointed president on 3 September 2020. The role is an honorary and voluntary one, "focused on raising awareness of issues facing children around the world and raising funds for Unicef’s work". [6]
UNICEF UK has a long history of support from its ambassadors and high-profile supporters, [7] who play a vital role in promoting UNICEF, advocating and fundraising on its behalf. Ambassadors help the organisation reach a wider audience, enabling it to highlight work undertaken to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children around the world.
All UNICEF ambassadors have been appointed because they have already demonstrated a commitment to the organisation's work. They dedicate time and energy in a variety of ways: visiting projects in the field and emergency situations, speaking to the media about what they have seen, or lobbying and raising money. [7]
Current[ when? ] UNICEF UK ambassadors and high-profile supporters include Michael Sheen, David Beckham, Martin Bell, Orlando Bloom, Charley Boorman, Millie Bobby Brown, Sir Alex Ferguson, Ralph Fiennes, Ryan Giggs, Ewan McGregor, Jemima Khan, Sir Roger Moore, James Nesbitt, Vanessa Redgrave, Tom Hiddleston, Rita Ora, Olivia Colman [8] and Robbie Williams. [9]
UNICEF is supported entirely by voluntary contributions and the support from corporate partners makes a significant contribution to its work. Companies that currently have a corporate partnership with UNICEF UK include 2021 Rugby League World Cup, [10] [11] Barclays, easyJet, Marks & Spencer, IKEA, Manchester United, EE, Pampers and Vodafone. [1]
UNICEF was the first charity to produce and sell cards for the purpose of raising funds. [12] The very first UNICEF card was a Christmas card created in 1949. The card was a reproduction of a painting, sent as a thank you to UNICEF in 1947, by seven-year-old Jitka Samkova. Jitka's village in Czechoslovakia had received UNICEF emergency assistance after the Second World War. [13]
Since 1949, UNICEF has continued to sell cards and gifts in order to raise money for children living in poverty around the world.
In 2004 UNICEF UK expanded its range of cards and gifts to include a selection of 'Inspired Gifts'. These offer an opportunity to give a present which makes a real difference to the lives of children. The choice of Inspired Gifts is wide; however the selection changes periodically, depending on where the need is greatest. A typical range could vary from a cold-box vaccine carrier which helps to ensure that vaccines for children reach their destination in perfect condition, to a midwife kit which helps to safely deliver over 50 babies.
The 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is a comprehensive human rights treaty which enshrines specific children's rights in international law. These rights define universal principles and standards for the status and treatment of children worldwide. [3]
The Convention spells out a specific role for UNICEF, in its capacity as the UN body responsible for the rights of children. UNICEF is required to promote the effective implementation of the Convention and to encourage international cooperation for the benefit of children. UNICEF is also entitled to be represented when each country's implementation of the Convention is considered by the Committee every five years. [3]
When an emergency strikes, UNICEF staff in the area react rapidly and the first aid usually arrives within 48 hours. [14] Emergency specialists assess the immediate need, focusing on women and children. With permanent offices in the field, UNICEF is well placed to coordinate relief by road and air. Following emergency relief efforts, UNICEF works to promote long-term rehabilitation and improve conditions for children.
In the UK, UNICEF seeks to improve baby health and nutrition through its Baby Friendly Initiative in UK health care centres. It also champions child-centred education based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child through its Rights Respecting Schools Award initiative. UNICEF UK is a member of the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS). [15]
UNICEF UK has asked the UK Government to a establish "a nationally-recognised suite of connected services" for babies and children under 5, which it describes as a "Baby and Toddler Guarantee". [16]
UNICEF's other priorities include education for all, child survival, HIV and AIDS and child protection.
On education, UNICEF is committed to giving girls and boys equal learning opportunities. It works to remove barriers that keep girls from attending school and to ensure that, once enrolled, they go on to graduate. UNICEF also supplies educational materials, mobilises teachers, registers children, prepares school facilities and develops curricula in countries affected by conflict and other emergencies. [17]
In terms of child survival, UNICEF is seeking to completely eradicate polio, to increase the percentage of children protected against malaria by mosquito nets, to protect children in the early years of life by promoting exclusive breastfeeding and to reduce the risk of children dying from diarrhoeal diseases by improving access to water and sanitation facilities. [18]
In 2005, UNICEF launched a five-year global campaign, Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS, to raise awareness about how HIV and AIDS are destroying the lives of children. The campaign aims to achieve four goals by 2010: to prevent new infections among young people by 25 per cent; to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in 80 per cent of cases; to provide treatment for 80 per cent of HIV-positive children; and to protect, care for and support 80 per cent of children affected by HIV and AIDS, including those who have lost their parents to the disease. [19]
Protection from exploitation is a universal right of every child, as laid out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and UNICEF places a high priority on protecting children from all forms of violence and abuse. For example, in Sierra Leone, UNICEF helped more than 3,600 child soldiers leave army life, while in Burkina Faso, UNICEF's support helped secure passage of legislation that made female genital mutilation a punishable offence. [20]
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The convention defines a child as any human being under the age of eighteen, unless the age of majority is attained earlier under national legislation.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Trafficking of children is a form of human trafficking and is defined by the United Nations as the "recruitment, transportation, harboring, and/or receipt" kidnapping of a child for the purpose of slavery, forced labour, and exploitation. This definition is substantially wider than the same document's definition of "trafficking in persons". Children may also be trafficked for adoption. Not all adoption is a form of human trafficking, but illegal or informal is. Illegal adoptions violate multiple child rights norms and principles, including the best interests of the child, the principle of subsidiarity and the prohibition of improper financial gain.
Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS is a global Campaign launched by UNICEF in 2005 to raise awareness of the plight of children globally in relation to HIV and AIDS, and to spur action.
The U.S. Fund for UNICEF, doing business as UNICEF USA, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) in the United States that supports the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Founded in 1947 by Helenka Pantaleoni, it is the oldest of the 36 UNICEF National Committees that support UNICEF worldwide through fundraising, advocacy and education. Since its inception, the U.S. Fund has provided UNICEF and various NGOs with $6.3 billion in cash and gifts-in-kind.
HIV/AIDS is considered the deadliest epidemic in the 21st century. It is transmitted through sex, intravenous drug use and mother-to-child transmission. Zambia is experiencing a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic, with a national HIV prevalence rate of 11.3% among adults ages 15 to 49 as of 2018. Per the 2000 Zambian census, the people affected by HIV/AIDS constituted 15% of the total population, amounting to one million, of which 60% were women. The pandemic results in increased number of orphans, with an estimated 600,000 orphans in the country. It was prevalent more in urban areas compared to rural and among all provinces, Copperbelt Province and Lusaka Province had higher occurrence.
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Ireland, also known as the Irish National Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF National Committees based in industrialised countries. The National Committees raise funds for the organisation's worldwide emergency and development work. UNICEF Ireland also advises the Irish Government and other bodies on policies and legislation which support programmes and commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
UNICEF, originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. The organization is one of the most widely known and visible social welfare entities globally, operating in 192 countries and territories. UNICEF's activities include providing immunizations and disease prevention, administering treatment for children and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and providing emergency relief in response to disasters.
Starfish Greathearts Foundation is an international non-governmental organisation formed in 2001 to help orphaned and vulnerable children in South Africa. Its mission is to help make a difference in the lives of such children via community-based projects working at grassroots level. This enables individual communities to develop their own solutions to fight the challenges they come across. As of January 2022, Starfish projects have reached more than 220,000 children in 110 communities across South Africa.</ref> Starfish Greathearts Foundation.
Jeannette Nyiramongi Kagame is the wife of Paul Kagame. She became the First Lady of Rwanda when her husband took office as President in 2000. Kagame is the founder and chairman of Imbuto Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the development of a healthy, educated and prosperous society.
UNICEF Philippines is one of Philippine's offices of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Being one of the first UNICEF offices established in Asia, it works to uphold the rights of children in the Philippines, including their right to education, healthcare, protection from abuse and exploitation. Additionally, it advocates for political change in support of children, and works with partners from public and private sectors to create change through sustainable programs.
The Global Movement for Children (GMC) is the world-wide movement of organisations and people – including children- uniting efforts to build a world fit for children.
UNICEF Indonesia is one of over 190 national offices within the United Nations Children’s Fund. As one of the first UNICEF offices established in Asia, UNICEF Indonesia has been on the ground since 1948 to uphold the rights of children in the vast archipelago, including their right to education, healthcare, and protection from abuse and exploitation. It also advocates for political change in support of children, and works with partner organizations from the public, charity, and private sectors to effect change.
The UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, also known as UNICEF EAPRO, is one of seven regional offices that support the work of the United Nations Children's Fund. Globally, UNICEF works to promote children's rights in over 150 developing countries.
The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) was a membership network of over 200 voluntary and community organisations, as well as local and regional networks, that work with and for young people across England. The organisation closed in 2016. For 80 years, NCVYS acted as an independent voice of the voluntary and community youth sector, working to inform and influence public policy, supporting members to improve the quality of their work, and also raising the profile of the voluntary and community sector's work with young people.
The quality of health in Rwanda has historically been very low, both before and immediately after the 1994 genocide. In 1998, more than one in five children died before their fifth birthday, often from malaria. But in recent years Rwanda has seen improvement on a number of key health indicators. Between 2005 and 2013, life expectancy increased from 55.2 to 64.0, under-5 mortality decreased from 106.4 to 52.0 per 1,000 live births, and incidence of tuberculosis has dropped from 101 to 69 per 100,000 people. The country's progress in healthcare has been cited by the international media and charities. The Atlantic devoted an article to "Rwanda's Historic Health Recovery". Partners In Health described the health gains "among the most dramatic the world has seen in the last 50 years".
UNICEF Canada, also known as the Canadian National Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF National Committees based in industrialized countries. UNICEF is a child-focused humanitarian organization, working in over 190 countries.
Armenia was admitted into the United Nations on 2 March 1992, following its independence from the Soviet Union. In December 1992, the UN opened its first office in Yerevan. Since then, Armenia has signed and ratified several international treaties. There are 20 specialized agencies, programs, and funds operating in the country under the supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator. Armenia strengthened its relations with the UN by cooperating with various UN agencies and bodies such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Food Programme, and with the financial institutions of the UN. Armenia is a candidate to preside as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2031.
Azerbaijan has been a member in the United Nations since March 2, 1992, after the UN General Assembly admitted Azerbaijan at its 46th session. The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan was opened in New York City in May 1992. On October 29, 1991, soon after gaining independence from the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan applied to the UN General Assembly for joining the organization. Azerbaijan was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term of 2012–2013.
Human rights in Namibia are currently recognised and protected by the Namibian constitution formed in 1990 by a 72-seat assembly. The assembly consisted of differing political parties. After a draft, the constitution was agreed upon by all members of the seven political parties involved. 21 March 1990 marks the first day Namibia operated under the Constitution and also marks the recognition of Namibia as an independent nation. Chapter 3 of the constitution entitled Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms, also referred to as the Bill of Rights, outlines the human rights of all Namibian citizens.