UNICEF was created by the UN General Assembly on December 11, 1946 as a temporary organization called the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to respond to the suffering of children in European countries devastated by World War II.
1953
In 1953, UNICEF was made a permanent arm of the UN to address the plight of children in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Its name was changed to the United Nations Children’s Fund.
1955
Volunteers formed UNICEF Canada in 1955 to organize the first Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign and mobilize long-term Canadian support for the world’s most vulnerable children.
1965
UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.
2002
In May 2002, UNICEF was the Secretariat for the United Nations Special Session on Children – a gathering of world leaders that resulted in a unanimous agreement on a new agenda for children, including 21 specific goals and targets for child health, education and protection over the next decade. The children participating in this session concluded that “a world fit for us is a world fit for everyone.”
Today
UNICEF has direct working relations with government ministries, community leaders and policy makers in more than 155 countries and territories.
Thanks to UNICEF, millions of children are living better lives today – three million fewer children under five die each year than 10 years ago and 50 million more children are enrolled in primary school than in 1990.
Guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF believes that the survival, protection and development of children must be a global priority, and that every child has the right to health, education, equality and protection.
UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, foundations, businesses and governments.