FOR EVERY CHILD, HOPE UNICEF@70: 1946–2016 Published by UNICEF Division of Communication 3 United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017, USA ISBN: 978-92-806-4856-0 [email protected] www.unicef.org © United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) November 2016 Permission is required to reproduce any part of this publication. For more information on usage rights, please contact [email protected] Designed by soapbox, www.soapbox.co.uk Front cover image In one of the earliest photographs from the UNICEF archive, reflecting efforts to assist children in Europe after World War II, a boy holds a UNICEF-supplied blanket in the north-western Greek town of Castoria. © UNICEF/UNI41895/UNKNOWN Back cover image Siblings embrace in Dien Bien Province, Viet Nam, where they attend a school supported by UNICEF to give remote villages and ethnic minorities access to quality education, in 2016. ©UNICEF/2016/LISTER FOR EVERY CHILD, HOPE UNICEF@70: 1946–2016 WORKING FOR EVERY CHILD SINCE 1946 11 December The Child The United Nations Survival Revolution International Children’s is launched with Emergency Fund GOBI: ‘G’ for growth is created by the UNICEF becomes monitoring, ‘O’ for General Assembly to a permanent The United World leaders vow oral rehydration provide supplies and agency in the Nations adopts the ‘Health for All’ through therapy, ‘B’ for UNICEF supports assistance to children United Nations Declaration of the the delivery of primary breastfeeding and children affected after World War II. system. Rights of the Child. health care. ‘I’ for immunization. by war and HIV/AIDS. 1946 1947 1953 1954 1959 1965 1975 1978 1979 1980 1982 1984 1988 1989 UNICEF: AGENCY FOR CHILDREN THE DEVELOPMENT DECADES CHILD SURVIVAL AND DEVELOPMENT The first American The India Mark The United UNICEF and ‘Education for UNICEF National entertainer II water pump Nations declares partners work All’ means girls Committee is Danny Kaye is invented, the International to fight famine as well as boys. established, and becomes transforming Year of the Child in the Horn UNICEF prints its UNICEF’s village life. to increase of Africa and first greeting card. Ambassador- awareness and Sahel regions. at-Large. spur action on children’s rights. 1947–1965 1965–1979 1980–1995 UNICEF’S FIRST EXECUTIVE UNICEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HENRY UNICEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JAMES DIRECTOR, MAURICE PATE: LABOUISSE: “The welfare of today’s GRANT: “We need to give children’s “There are no enemy children.” children is inseparably linked with essential needs a ‘first call’ SWEDEN the peace of tomorrow’s world.” on society’s resources.” ACCEPTING UNICEF’S 1965 NOBEL PEACE THE LAUNCH OF OPERATION PRIZE, NORWAY LIFELINE SUDAN FOR EVERY CHILD, HOPE 2 UNICEF@70: 1946−2016 UNICEF celebrates UNICEF launches The turmoil of the 25th Anniversary UNICEF advocates the ‘Unite for the Arab Spring, of the Convention for the rights, Children, Unite the outbreak of on the Rights of dignity and At the United against AIDS’ extreme hunger the Child and protection of Nations Special campaign to in the Horn of Africa activates its children on the Session on put children and the crisis in 2014–2017 Strategic move as the Children, child and their needs the Syrian Arab plan, a road map global migrant delegates address at the forefront Republic pose for realizing the and refugee crisis The World Summit the General of the global major challenges for rights of every child, reaches proportions for Children is held Assembly for fight against UNICEF and other particularly the most unequalled since in New York. the first time. the disease. humanitarian actors. disadvantaged. World War II. 1989 1990 1994 1995 2002 2004 2005 2010 2011–2013 2012 2014 2015 2016 RECOGNIZING CHILDREN’S RIGHTS THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS THE EQUITY AGENDA The Convention UNICEF UNICEF and UNICEF takes UNICEF hosts the The era of on the Rights and UNESCO partners organize a lead role in first Forum of the the Millennium of the Child invent the a record-breaking the international Global Partnership Development is adopted ‘School-in- humanitarian response to on Children with Goals comes by the United a-Box.’ response to the earthquake Disabilities, to to an end and Nations General tsunami in the devastation in mainstream the Sustainable Assembly, enters Indian Ocean. Haiti, focusing disability rights Development into force in 1990 on child health into child-focused Goals become and becomes the and nutrition policies and the centrepiece most widely and in the aftermath. programmes. of the Post-2015 rapidly accepted Development human rights Agenda. treaty in history. 1995–2005 2005–2010 2010–PRESENT UNICEF EXECUTIVE UNICEF EXECUTIVE UNICEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DIRECTOR CAROL BELLAMY: DIRECTOR ANN M. VENEMAN: ANTHONY LAKE: “The next steps “When the lives and Building results- of our journey will depend on our rights of children are based programming willingness to adapt to the changing at stake, there must and partnerships to world around us … to infuse equity be no silent witnesses.” “unite for children.” throughout our programmes and VISITING A SCHOOL, VISITING AN EARTHQUAKE the post-2015 targets...” SOMALIA VICTIM, PAKISTAN FOR EVERY CHILD, HOPE 3 UNICEF@70: 1946−2016 CONTENTS Foreword 7 Introduction: The UNICEF story 8 1. Humanitarian action for children at risk 16 2. A revolution in child survival and health 26 3. The achievable imperative of nutrition 36 4. Towards universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene 44 5. A transformative approach to quality education for all 54 6. Prevention, treatment and advocacy for children affected by HIV and AIDS 64 7. Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse 72 8. Social inclusion and rights for every child 86 9. Partnerships bring progress 92 Afterword: Looking ahead 100 Girls play outside the Angela Landa Primary School in Havana, the capital of Cuba, in 1995. © UNICEF/UNI53115/BARBOUR FOREWORD “The hope of the world rests in the coming generations.” With these words in 1946, the General Assembly recommended the establishment of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, to safeguard the lives of children struggling to survive in the aftermath of World War II – and in doing so, to help rebuild destroyed societies and restore hope for a better future. Our organization has worked to live up to the trust that was placed in us 70 years ago to promote the rights and protect the well-being of all the world’s children, wherever they live, and whatever the domestic politics or international policies of their governments. Many highlights of that work appear in the pages of this special publication. They tell a story – the story of UNICEF’s determined work to close the gap between everything we imagine for children and all that we have not yet been able to achieve for them. It is the story of thousands of courageous, committed people who have worked relentlessly in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the most vulnerable children… of government partners, donors and supporters from around the world who have provided critical resources and constant encouragement to reach our common goals for children… of innovators who have developed new ways to save and improve children’s lives… of Goodwill Ambassadors, who have used their talents to bring help and hope to children in need of both… and of advocates who have spoken out fearlessly for the cause of children. Most of all, these pages tell the story of the millions of children whose bravery and resilience have inspired us for 70 years. In confl icts and crises, through poverty and deprivation, despite discrimination and exclusion, children have the capacity to play, to smile and, above all, to hope for a better future. UNICEF’s 70th anniversary is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to fulfi lling that hope, for every child. Children are our mission. And the “hope of the world” still rests on them. Anthony Lake Executive Director FOR EVERY CHILD, HOPE 9 UNICEF@70: 1946−2016 A volunteer and the boy he is carrying, both refugees from the Syrian Arab Republic, share a laugh as other refugees arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos in 2015. © UNICEF/UNI197517/GILBERTSON VII PHOTO INTRODUCTION THE UNICEF STORY In December 1946, faced with the reality of millions of children suffering daily deprivation in Europe after World War II, the General Assembly of the United Nations announced the creation of a new entity, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), to mount urgent relief programmes. In keeping with the ethos of the United Nations, UNICEF would provide aid without discrimination due to race, creed, nationality, status or political belief. The sole condition made by Maurice Pate upon his appointment as the organization’s first Executive Director was “that it include all children” from both Allied and “ex-enemy countries.” Seventy years later, as Europe copes with rights and brighten the futures of the most a refugee crisis not seen since UNICEF was disadvantaged children around the world.” founded, the organization remains an ever- present advocate for children’s rights. It is UNICEF’s mission focuses on the whole child uniquely positioned among humanitarian – including that child’s mental and physical and development agencies to respond not only health, and his or her access to education, legal to the needs of children displaced by disaster and social protection, safe water and sanitation, and armed conflict, but also to work for a better and more. UNICEF understands that the spiral future for all children. of poverty, disease and hunger stifles global development and leads to violations of children’s UNICEF believes that there is hope for every child. human rights. Those rights guide UNICEF’s work The conviction that every child is born with the towards a world where every child has a fair same inalienable right to a healthy, safe child- chance in life.