Birth of UNICEF

December 11 1946 marked the establishment of the non-profit organization that provides assistance to children worldwide, United Nations Children’s Fund or originally known as United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Despite its name change, the organization is still commonly known as UNICEF worldwide. With its familiar blue logo and its acronym in blue-colored small letters, UNICEF was originally created to provide healthcare and assistance in any shape or form to children in countries devastated by the World War II but by the end of the war, UNICEF has been a permanent fixture in the United Nations System and its main goal is to provide humanitarian assistance to children and their mothers in third world and developing countries.

Based in New York City, UNICEF transcends race, religion and territorial boundaries. The humanitarian organization has staff that is made up of 190 countries and has offices in over 120 countries worldwide. Led currently by former US Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman, UNICEF is primarily funded (one-third of all UNICEF’s income) by National Committees in 36 developed and industrialized countries in the world. Funds are raised from the private sectors in these countries, through media, local government and individuals in the countries, these National Committees are established as an independent non-government organization hence funds go directly into helping needy children worldwide.

UNICEF’s global income annually usually reaches over 2 billion US dollars. The income generated mostly go into different priorities like education (UNICEF believes every child deserves and should get the best start in life), child protection (clampdown on child pornography and human trafficking) and immunization (with more than over 2 million children dying each year due to diseases). UNICEF also established the Innocenti Research Center in Florence, Italy to support its advocacy for children. The centre researches on children’s rights, maintain and gain partnership with different institutions and organizations with the aim of providing and strengthening finance and research findings on its different policies.

Even though UNICEF has been largely successful in advocating assistance to children and their mothers, UNICEF has also been under scrutiny multiple times and faces criticism from different groups and organizations worldwide. UNICEF has been labeled as biased plenty of times, often seen involuntarily taking sides in favor of something or someone in times of conflict. Although its National Committees are NGOs, UNICEF itself is an inter-governmental organization; hence as seen several times, it tries to appease governments through its decisions. UNICEF has also had donations taken away from the Catholic Church after getting reports from various other organizations that UNICEF has used funds to finance abortions, a move that is very much against the beliefs of the Catholic Church.

Despite its shortcomings and criticisms, there is no denying the fact that when the UNICEF was established on December 11 1946, it has, to a great extent, provided extensive humanitarian support to children and their mothers worldwide, especially in developing countries. For its contribution to the development of mankind, UNICEF was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in 1965. With continued support and donation from individuals, governments and multi-national corporations, and with its multi-national staff, UNICEF will definitely provide assistance, whenever and wherever it is needed.