The United Nations(UN)’s World Children’s Day is annually observed across the globe on November 20th to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights
The day aims to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improve children’s welfare.
The theme of World Children’s Day 2021 is “A Better Future for Every Child”.
Background:
i.World Children’s Day was established as “Universal Children’s Day” in 1954.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/836(IX) on 14th December 1954 and recommended that starting from 1956, all the countries shall observe Universal Children’s day on the date each considers appropriate.
iii.Since 1990, World Children’s day is annually observed across the globe on 20th November to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.
Children’s global issues:
i.Globally, 1 out of 6 children lives in extreme poverty, living on less than US$1.90 a day.
ii.Without proposed health care and nutrition, in 2019, around 149 million children under the age of 5 were stunted.
iii.In 2019, 1.6 billion children (69%) were living in a conflict-affected country, and approximately 426 million children (over one in six) were living in a conflict zone.
United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF):
United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) is a specialised agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children across the globe.
- The Changing Childhood Project: it is the first poll of its kind to ask multiple generations for their views on the world and what it is like to be a child today.
- UNICEF Youth Advocates 2021: UNICEF partners with young people across the globe to advocate and advance children’s rights. The UNICEF Youth Advocates are young leaders from diverse backgrounds from entertainment, education and entrepreneurship to innovation, social justice and media.
The State of the World’s Children(SOWC) report:
i.The State of the World’s Children(SOWC), a UNICEF’s flagship report, is a comprehensive analysis of global trends affecting children. It was first published in 1980.
ii.The report examines the key issue affecting children, ranging from children with disabilities, conflict and war, child labour, urbanization, early childhood development, and much more,
- The State of the World’s Children 2021: On My Mind: Promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health, examines child, adolescent and caregiver mental health.
Children’s day in India – November 14
India celebrates children’s day on 14th November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister(PM) of Independent India
