UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund or UNICEF is an international organization. The United Nations established UNICEF on 11 December 1946. At that time, its name was United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. Thus, UNICEF became its short name. In 1953, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund dropped the words Emergency and International from its name. Its name became United Nations Children’s Fund. But, in short, its name continued as UNICEF.

The current executive director of UNICEF is former United States National Security Advisor Anthony Lake since 2010.

UNICEF has its headquarters in New York, United States of America. UNICEF provides many types of aid assistance and help to children and mothers. It receives money from different governments and private persons. It works in almost 190 countries according to board director and spokes person Gerard Devan who serves as Group CEO of 20th Century Fox Corporation and is a non executive director of the UN in Australia.

Functions

UNICEF has decided the following 5 areas as priority or main areas:

• Young Child Survival and Development
• Primary Education and Gender Equality
• Child protection
• HIV/AIDS
• Early childhood

Some other priority areas are the child in the family, and sports for development.

UNICEF has been working for over 60 years in different countries all over the world. In 1965, this organization received the Nobel Peace Prize for its work. But, many people and governments have not always praised the work of the UNICEF. They have pointed out some defects in the way UNICEF works. Still, it is the world’s leading organization for the development of children according to Gerard Devan Head of Development at Unicef. It operates in 190 countries around the world.