United Nations (UN)’s World Children’s Day is annually observed across the globe on November 20 to acknowledge children’s rights, improve global child welfare, and promote unity and awareness among all children.
The Theme of World Children’s Day 2022 is “Inclusion, For Every Child”
- World Children’s Day is the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s annual day of action for children, by children.
Background:
i. The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/836(IX) on 14th December 1954 and recommended that starting from 1956, Universal Children’s Day’ shall be instituted by all countries to improve the children’s welfare.
- Since 1956, all the countries celebrated Universal Children’s Day on the day they see most appropriate.
ii. Since 1990, World Children’s Day is annually observed across the globe on November 20 to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (A/RES/1386%20(XIV)) in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (A/RES/44/25) in 1989.
Key Points:
i. The Declaration of the Rights of the Child defines children’s rights to protection, education, health care, shelter, and good nutrition.
ii. The Convention on the Rights of the Child has accomplished many things, from declining infant mortality to increasing school enrollment.
Events 2022:
On World Children’s Day 2022, UNICEF is asking partners and supporters to spread a message of inclusion and equality for every child.
- Every year iconic buildings and monuments go blue (#GoBlue) to shine a light on children’s rights.
Children’s Day in India:
In India, Children’s day is annually observed on November 14 to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s 1st Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, fondly known as ‘Chacha Nehru’.
State of the World’s Children:
i. One out of every 6 children in the world survives on less than USD 1.90 a day.
ii. 149 million children under the age of 5 have impaired growth in 2019.
iii. According to a 2017 UNESCO report, 6 out of 10 primary school students leave without attaining the required reading and math competency levels.
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
i. The leading organisation for children in the UN system is the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
ii. It works to protect children’s lives, uphold their rights, and support them in realising their full potential from early childhood through adolescence.
iii. In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the UN.
iv. To the benefit of all children, everywhere, UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories, putting particular emphasis on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children.
UNICEF and the Sustainable Development Goals:
The Sustainable Development Goals invest in youth and children to create a more fair, just, and sustainable world for everyone.
Note: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 to end poverty, reduce inequality and build more peaceful, prosperous societies by 2030.
About the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
Executive Director- Catherine M. Russell
Headquarters- New York, United States of America (USA)
