UNICEF

What we do
Founded in 1946, UNICEF advocates and works for the protection of children's rights, to help the young meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. The UNICEF Executive Board reaffirmed this mandate in January 1996, when it adopted a statement on the mission of UNICEF saying that UNICEF "is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children." The statement is also available in Arabic, Chinese and Russian as well as in English, French and Spanish.

Getting to know us
UNICEF, the only organization of the United Nations dedicated exclusively to children, works with other United Nations bodies, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to lighten children's loads through community-based services in primary health care, basic education, and safe water and sanitation in developing countries. The current Executive Director is Carol Bellamy of the United States of America.

The UNICEF Annual Report, reviewing activities in the preceding year, offers readers a sense of what UNICEF, together with a broad range of partners, is doing to meet the challenges confronting children and those in need.

For hard copies of UNICEF publications, kindly contact your nearest UNICEF Field Office (if you are in a developing country) or your National Committee for UNICEF (if you are in an industrialized country). There may be a shipping and handling charge. For comments, suggestions and other information requests, email netmaster@unicef.org