UN Children's Fund

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was established by General Assembly resolution 57(I) on 11 December 1946 as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, originally created to deliver relief to children in countries devastated by the Second World War. In 1953 the General Assembly made it a permanent part of the UN system and shortened its formal name, though the acronym UNICEF was retained.

UNICEF is headquartered in New York and operates in over 190 countries and territories through a network of country offices, regional offices, and National Committees in higher-income states that raise funds and advocate for children. It is governed by an Executive Board of 36 member states elected by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and is led by an Executive Director appointed by the UN Secretary-General in consultation with the Board.

Its mandate is grounded in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), adopted by the General Assembly on 20 November 1989, which UNICEF is widely recognised as the principal UN body promoting. Core programme areas include:

• child survival and health (immunisation, nutrition, maternal and newborn care)
• water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
• education, including in emergencies
• child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse
• social inclusion and cash-transfer policy support
• humanitarian response, where UNICEF is cluster lead for nutrition, WASH, and education (jointly with Save the Children)

UNICEF is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from governments, intergovernmental bodies, the private sector, and individual donors; it receives no funds from the UN regular budget. Contributions are split between flexible "core" resources and earmarked "other resources."

UNICEF received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 for its work on behalf of children. It frequently partners with WHO, WFP, UNHCR, and UNFPA, and reports annually through its flagship publication, The State of the World's Children.