UNICEF UK

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UK Committee for UNICEF
AbbreviationUNICEF UK
Formation1956
TypeNational committee
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersLondon, UK
Head
Jon Sparkes CEO 2022
Parent organization
UNICEF
Websitewww.unicef.org.uk

UNICEF UK, also known as the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36

emergency and development
work.

Internationally,

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and works to hold the international community responsible for their promises to children.[3]

UNICEF is not funded by the

children's rights in the UK and internationally.[4]

People

Jon Sparkes was appointed CEO in January 2022.[5]

Actress6Olivia Colman. who became an official Unicef UK Ambassador in 2019, was appointed president on 3 September 2020. The role is an honorary and voluntary one, "focused on raising awareness of issues facing children around the world and raising funds for Unicef’s work".[6]

UNICEF ambassadors

UNICEF UK has a long history of support from its ambassadors and high-profile supporters,

advocating and fundraising
on its behalf. Ambassadors help the organisation reach a wider audience, enabling it to highlight work undertaken to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children around the world.

All UNICEF ambassadors have been appointed because they have already demonstrated a commitment to the organisation's work. They dedicate time and energy in a variety of ways: visiting projects in the field and emergency situations, speaking to the media about what they have seen, or lobbying and raising money.[7]

Current[

Jemima Khan, Sir Roger Moore, James Nesbitt, Vanessa Redgrave, Tom Hiddleston, Rita Ora, Olivia Colman[8] and Robbie Williams.[9]

Corporate partners

UNICEF is supported entirely by voluntary contributions and the support from

corporate partners makes a significant contribution to its work. Companies that currently have a corporate partnership with UNICEF UK include 2021 Rugby League World Cup,[10][11] Barclays, easyJet, Marks & Spencer, IKEA, Manchester United, EE, Pampers and Vodafone.[1]

Cards and gifts

UNICEF was the first charity to produce and sell cards for the purpose of raising funds.[12] The very first UNICEF card was a Christmas card created in 1949. The card was a reproduction of a painting, sent as a thank you to UNICEF in 1947, by seven-year-old Jitka Samkova. Jitka's village in Czechoslovakia had received UNICEF emergency assistance after the Second World War.[13]

Since 1949, UNICEF has continued to sell cards and gifts in order to raise money for children living in poverty around the world.

Inspired Gifts

In 2004 UNICEF UK expanded its range of cards and gifts to include a selection of 'Inspired Gifts'. These offer an opportunity to give a present which makes a real difference to the lives of children. The choice of Inspired Gifts is wide; however the selection changes periodically, depending on where the need is greatest. A typical range could vary from a cold-box vaccine carrier which helps to ensure that vaccines for children reach their destination in perfect condition, to a midwife kit which helps to safely deliver over 50 babies.

Convention on the Rights of the Child

The 1989

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is a comprehensive human rights treaty which enshrines specific children's rights in international law. These rights define universal principles and standards for the status and treatment of children worldwide.[3]

The Convention spells out a specific role for UNICEF, in its capacity as the

UN body responsible for the rights of children. UNICEF is required to promote the effective implementation of the Convention and to encourage international cooperation for the benefit of children. UNICEF is also entitled to be represented when each country's implementation of the Convention is considered by the Committee every five years.[3]

Emergency response

When an emergency strikes, UNICEF staff in the area react rapidly and the first

aid usually arrives within 48 hours.[14]
Emergency specialists assess the immediate need, focusing on women and children. With permanent offices in the field, UNICEF is well placed to coordinate relief by road and air. Following emergency relief efforts, UNICEF works to promote long-term rehabilitation and improve conditions for children.

Programmes in the UK

In the UK, UNICEF seeks to improve baby health and nutrition through its

Baby Friendly Initiative in UK health care centres. It also champions child-centred education based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child through its Rights Respecting Schools Award initiative. UNICEF UK is a member of the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS).[15]

UNICEF UK has asked the

UK Government to a establish "a nationally-recognised suite of connected services" for babies and children under 5, which it describes as a "Baby and Toddler Guarantee".[16]

Other areas of work

UNICEF's other priorities include education for all,

child survival, HIV and AIDS and child protection
.

Education

On education, UNICEF is committed to giving girls and boys equal learning opportunities. It works to remove barriers that keep girls from attending school and to ensure that, once enrolled, they go on to graduate. UNICEF also supplies educational materials, mobilises teachers, registers children, prepares school facilities and develops curricula in countries affected by conflict and other emergencies.[17]

Child survival

In terms of

diarrhoeal diseases by improving access to water and sanitation facilities.[18]

HIV and AIDS

In 2005, UNICEF launched a five-year global campaign, Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS, to raise awareness about how HIV and AIDS are destroying the lives of children. The campaign aims to achieve four goals by 2010: to prevent new infections among young people by 25 per cent; to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in 80 per cent of cases; to provide treatment for 80 per cent of HIV-positive children; and to protect, care for and support 80 per cent of children affected by HIV and AIDS, including those who have lost their parents to the disease.[19]

Child protection

child soldiers leave army life, while in Burkina Faso, UNICEF's support helped secure passage of legislation that made female genital mutilation a punishable offence.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "The United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF Trustees' Report & Consolidated Financial Statements" (PDF). 31 December 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2009.
  2. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". www.unicef.org. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Convention on the Rights of the Child". Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  4. ^ "What does Unicef do?". Unicef UK. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Our Leadership Team". Unicef UK. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Unicef UK appoints Olivia Colman as its new President". UNICEF UK. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b "UNICEF publications". www.unicef.org.
  8. ^ "Unicef UK appoints Olivia Colman as its new President". Unicef UK. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Celebrity Supporters". Unicef UK. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Rugby League World Cup 2021 Partners with Unicef UK".
  11. ^ "RLWC2021 Partners with Unicef UK".
  12. ^ http://www.unicef.org.uk/tz/resources/assets/pdf/60years_unicef_booklet.pdf [dead link]
  13. ISSN 0190-8286
    . Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Emergencies - UNICEF UK". Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
  15. ^ "NCVYS - Unofficial Website of the Organization". www.ncvys.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013.
  16. ^ Institute of Health Visiting, UNICEF UK – Guaranteeing every baby and toddler the best start in life, published 18 October 2022, accessed 16 May 2023
  17. ^ "Basic education and gender equality". unicef.org. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
  18. ^ "Maternal, newborn and child survival". unicef.org. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
  19. ^ "Vape IMG - Vape Images Galore".
  20. ^ "Child Protection". unicef.org. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2008.

External links

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