World Children’s Day is observed globally by the United Nations (UN) on 20 November each year to promote international unity, raise awareness about children’s issues, and enhance their welfare.
Theme:
2025 Theme: “Listen to children: my day, my rights ”
Focus: The theme highlights the need to give children a voice, ensure their opinions are heard, and protect their rights.
Exam Hints:
- Event: World Children’s Day 2025
- When? November 20
- Theme 2025: “Listen to children: my day, my rights”
- Declared By: UNGA Resolution A/RES/836(IX) in 1954
- First Known As: Universal Children’s Day
- Lead Agency: UNICEF
- UNICEF Report 2025 :
- Report: The State of the World’s Children 2025
- Global Poverty: 400 million children in low- and middle-income countries face severe deprivation
- India: 460 million children under 18 live in India (~1 in 5 globally)
Background:
Origin: World Children’s Day was originally created as Universal Children’s Day.
Adoption: On 14 December 1954, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution A/RES/836(IX), calling on all nations to observe Universal Children’s Day starting in 1956.
Why 20 November? Since 1990, 20 November has been observed to mark the anniversary of the UNGA’s adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).
Led By: The day is observed annually as a global movement for and by children, led by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
State of the World’s Children Report 2025:
Report Release: On November 20, 2025, UNICEF launched the report “The State of the World’s Children 2025: Ending Child Poverty – Our Shared Imperative” Global Child Deprivation: More than 1 in 5 children in low- and middle-income countries (about 400 million worldwide) are severely deprived in at least two of six basic needs: education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, or clean water.
Poverty: Significant levels of child poverty persist even in high-income nations, where around 50 million children live in poverty.
- An estimated 412 million children globally survive on less than USD 3 per day.
India – Specific: India is home to roughly 1 in 5 of the world’s children, with about 460 million individuals under the age of 18. Over half of these children (around 206 million) are deprived of at least one of six essential services. Among them, 62 million lack access to two or more basic services.
- As per the National Multidimensional Poverty Index(MPI), around 248 million people moved out of multidimensional poverty between 2013 and 2023, reducing the poverty rate from 29.2% to 11.3%.
About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
UNICEF was established in 1946 as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). It became a permanent part of the UN in 1953 and its name was shortened to the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Executive Director(ED)– Catherine M. Russell
Headquarters– New York, the United States of America (USA)
