UNICEF Releases New Report on Universal Children’s Day

The United Nations Children Fun (UNICEF) issued a new Policy and Strategy Research Paper today, commemorating Universal Children’s Day. 

                                                    African Children

This new research paper highlights global demographic shifts forecasts for the coming generation of children that present major challenges to policy makers and planners.

The paper for instance says that by 2050 one in every three births will be African – as will also be almost one in every three children under the age of 18. One hundred years earlier, sub-Saharan Africa’s share of births was just one in 10.

The paper, [Generation 2025 and beyond: The critical importance of understanding demographic trends for children of the 21st century], says that in turn under-5 deaths will continue increasingly to be concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, in pockets of poverty and marginalization in populous lower-income countries and in least developed nations.

Related UN Resources:

The State of the World’s Children 2012

Key Recent UNICEF Publications

UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Reports

20th November is Universal Children’s Day

20th November 2012 is Universal Children’s Day.Proclaimed by UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/836 (IX), this day is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide., The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, promotes and coordinates this special day, which also works towards improving children’s welfare. Read more about this day at the UN Website.

UN and  Children:

Photo Source: UN Photo Library, Photo # 147425 

Security Council closed meeting on children and armed conflict

Link to picture

Friday, 5 October 2012

The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict is holding a closed meeting this afternoon.

The current report on the activities of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict was established pursuant to resolution 1612 (2005) and covers the period 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.

UN Resources:

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* Photo:  UN Photo/Rick Bajornas. Security Council Discusses Children and Armed Conflict, 12 July 2011 Photo # 479288.

Security Council report on Children and Armed Conflict

Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Visits DRC

The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, has submitted its annual report on the activities of the Working Group since the submission of its previous report on 30 September 2011.

This current report on the activities of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict was established pursuant to resolution 1612 (2005) and covers the period 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.

UN Resources:

Non UN Resources:

Photo:  UN Photo/Myriam Asmani.

Children and Armed Conflict

Wednesday, 19 September 2012

The Security Council met today at its 6838th meeting to discuss the Report of the Secretary-General on Children and armed conflict, S/2012/261 and the letter dated 6 September 2012 from the Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, S/2012/685.

The President drew attention to the text of a draft resolution contained in document S/2012/713.


The Council proceeded to vote on the draft resolution S/2012/713 before it.

Decision: The draft resolution S/2012/713 received 11 votes in favour, none against and four abstentions (Azerbaijan, China, Pakistan and the Russian Federation) and was adopted as resolution 2068 (2012).

UN Resources:

  • Most notable, is a  library for better document searching.

4th June is International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

 The General Assembly at its emergency special session on the question of Palestine, “appalled at the great number of innocent Palestinian and Lebanese children victims of Israel’s acts of aggression”, decided to commemorate 4 June of each year commemorated pursuant to GA resolution A/RES/ES-7/8.

The purpose of the day is to acknowledge the pain suffered by children throughout the world who are the victims of physical, mental and emotional abuse. This day affirms the UN’s commitment to protect the rights of children.

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Photo:Two young residents from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Acqba Jaber camp for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank. Credit: UN Photo/Stephenie Hollyman

WHO: Born too soon: the global action report on preterm Birth

The WHO has published a report titled the  Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth.This report provides the first-ever national, regional and global estimates of preterm birth. The report shows the extent to which preterm birth is on the rise in most countries, and is now the second leading cause of death globally for children under five, after pneumonia.

Progress for Children new UNICEF report

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) just published Progress for Children: A report card on adolescents. The report has been released in conjunction with a four-part series on adolescent health by the British medical journal The Lancet. 

The UNICEF report shows that although adolescents have made progress since 1990 – with increasing primary education enrolment and decreasing child mortality rates – those gains are not shared in all regions of the world.

The report is available in English.

Resources


United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction- Publications



This booklet targets primary school children to sensitize them to the causes, impacts and mitigation of coastal and marine hazards, such as cyclone, tsunami, storm surge and flood, as well as other natural hazards such as drought, oil spill, ‘red tide’ and ‘brown tide’, and city fire.



This paper is a UNISDR contribution towards effective Drought Contingency Planning (DCP) for stakeholders and partners implementing drought risk reduction programmes in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA). It attempts to convert findings, concepts and guidelines into a guidance document from critical gaps to bridge general drought preparedness, contingency planning and early response. 


Toolkit for national platforms for disaster risk reduction in Africa

This toolkit outlines actions, examples and resources available for those with the responsibility for invigorating their country’s national platform for disaster risk reduction (DRR) or participating in it. It is designed for those who have the responsibility to set up, maintain and sustain a national platform for DRR, or participants who organize and administer them

UNFPA:Contraceptive Commodities for Women’s Health

UNFPA has released a report titled Contraceptive Commodities for Women’s Health:Key data and findings.This report, prepared for the United Nations Commission on Commodities for Women and Children’s Health, provides a review of three contraceptive commodities that are considered to be overlooked or underutilized: the female condom, hormonal implants and emergency contraception.

Related Resources:

International Criminal Court’s First Verdict

ICC First verdict: Thomas Lubanga guilty of conscripting and enlisting children under the age of 15 and using them to participate in hostilities. 

More informatin:

FAQ on International Criminal Court Prosecutions

To find out more on the ICC consult their Frequently Asked Questions:

The State of the World’s Children 2012: Children in an Urban World

The State of the World’s Children 2012: Children in an Urban World was launched on 28 February 2012. More than half of the world’s 7 billion people now live in urban areas.  Cities are known to generate economic growth – but, as the report reveals, not all children are benefiting from urban expansion. In this increasingly urban world, the absence of a sustained focus on child rights means that some children are being left behind

Resources

Online course for justice professionals dealing with child victims

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Office for Drug and Crime (UNODC) have launched an online training portal for justice professionals who deal with cases involving child victims and child witnesses of crime.

The training portal, the first of its kind, will target geographically diverse criminal justice professionals, including law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, social workers, health sector workers, lawyers and informal justice providers. Read more about the portal on the website.

Other resources:

Resources on UN Secretary-General’s “Every Woman, Every Child” Event

UN Secretary-General is hosting the “Every Woman, Every Child” event Tuesday (20 September), a global effort bringing together governments, philanthropic institutions and other funders, the United Nations and multilateral organizations, civil society and non-governmental organizations, the business community, health-care workers and professionals, and academic and research institutions around the world that support the “Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health”


*Photo - A Somali woman and a malnourished child exit from the medical tent after the child receives emergency medical treatment from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), an active regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations… (July 2011) - UN Photo/Stuart Price