UNICEF is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide, created by a General Assembly resolution on 11 December 1946 to give immediate relief to children and mothers affected by the Second World War. Originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, it became a permanent part of the UN system in 1953 under the name United Nations Children's Fund while keeping the UNICEF acronym, and its mandate expanded to address the long term welfare of children, particularly in developing countries. It now operates in one hundred and ninety two countries and territories, delivering immunizations, disease prevention, HIV treatment, nutrition support, sanitation improvements, education, and emergency disaster relief, funded entirely by voluntary contributions from governments and private donors and governed by a thirty six member executive board from its headquarters in New York.
Facts
Founding Year Founding Date Classification
KindInternational Organization 1 Connections
Sources
1. UNICEF (Wikipedia)
Lead section, paragraph 1
The organization was created by resolution 57(I) of the United Nations General Assembly on 11 December 1946
Lead section, paragraph 2
originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
- Institutional profile classification
View the SourceFrequently Asked Questions
Why is the agency still called UNICEF if its name changed?
It kept the UNICEF acronym from its original name when it became permanent in 1953.
UNICEF was created on 11 December 1946 as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. When it became a permanent part of the United Nations system in 1953 it was renamed the United Nations Children's Fund, but it kept the familiar acronym UNICEF.
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