United Nations International Childrens Fund

The United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) is a United Nations (UN) programme headquartered in New York City that provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. It is one of the members of the United Nations Development Group and its executive committee.

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything it does. Together with partners, UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

In all of its work, UNICEF takes a life-cycle based approach, recognizing the particular importance of early childhood development and adolescence. UNICEF programmes focus on the most disadvantaged children, including those living in fragile contexts, those with disabilities, those who are affected by rapid urbanization and those affected by environmental degradation.

UNICEF was created with a distinct purpose in mind: to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future.

Members

Woman walking in a dry landscape with a donkey carrying jerrycans of water. Credits:  Ayene, UNICEF Ethiopia

Water Security for Climate Resilience Report

This report explores the relationship between water security, climate and climate adaptation decisions, drawing on research from the REACH Programme (2015-2025), conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

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Children watering seedlings. Credit: UN CC:e-Learn.

Children and Climate Change UN CC:e-Learn course

Learn how children and youth can be impacted by climate change, how their resilience can be strengthened, and how they can act to address this challenge in this online course. The course includes links to other UN resources on climate change, which provides a gateway to more in-depth and specific information.

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Cover of the COVID book

COPE Books for Children: COVID-19

Learn about disaster risk reduction, COVID and how the virus is spread in this illustrated book for children from COPE

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Cover of the Droughts book

COPE Books for Children: Droughts

Learn about how climate change will impact droughts and how to be more prepared for them with this illustrated book for children from COPE and United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction.

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boy holding a plant

Asia Pacific Children and Youth Voices on Climate Crisis and Disaster Risk Reduction

The article presents findings from consultations with children and youth in 13 countries in Asia and the Pacific. It highlights their knowledge, experience and contribution to disaster resilience and climate action.

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