About UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein

UNICEF was established in 1946 to alleviate the plight of children in Europe after World War II and became an integral part of the United Nations in 1953. Since it was established, the Children’s Fund has focused on improving health and access to high-quality education for all children, advocating for the protection of all children worldwide and providing humanitarian aid. A lot has been achieved in recent decades: global poverty has been halved, the under-five mortality rate has dropped by 59 percent and the incidence of polio has been reduced by 99.9 percent. However, there is still much more to be achieved and improved: conflict, violence, poverty and hardship continue to define the lives of countless children. That’s why UNICEF is on the ground, working around the clock to make lasting improvements in children’s lives at the national and international level.

UNICEF aims to improve the lives and health of children around the world and to protect their basic children’s rights. To ensure this, UNICEF works to end violence against and exploitation of children, fight child poverty and shape safe environments for children. The cycle of chronic crises needs to be broken: UNICEF therefore creates access to clean drinking water, food and medical care and provides humanitarian aid.

Overall, UNICEF works to create a world in which every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy, safe and secure; where girls and boys have an equal chance to develop to their full potential. In addition, UNICEF aims to ensure that all children have access to education, regardless of their background or gender. The social, economic and environmental impacts of issues such as climate change and war are always taken into account when developing solutions. UNICEF works on innovations and ideas to implement its goals in the best possible way.

UNICEF is the abbreviation for United Nations Children’s Fund. When it was first established in 1946, the name was the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. The terms “International” and “Emergency” were later dropped, but the acronym remained unchanged.

UNICEF advocates for children’s rights in more than 190 countries and territories, improving their living conditions worldwide by protecting them from violence and granting them access to healthcare, drinking water and sanitation, education and humanitarian aid. In more affluent countries, UNICEF advocates for children’s rights, including those of girls and boys in their own country, through information and lobbying. With concrete programs and political influence, UNICEF achieves sustainable progress for children, and has been doing so for more than 75 years. You can find out more about the current programs that UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein supports here.

UNICEF is funded exclusively by voluntary contributions from private donors and companies, as well as contributions from nations. In 2021, UNICEF collected a total of 8.1 billion US dollars, of which 65% came from government contributions, 21% from private donations and 10% from other organizations. The contributions are used to fund UNICEF’s programs and activities and to promote the rights and wellbeing of children worldwide.

UNICEF’s work could hardly be more diverse: From emergency relief to long-term reconstruction and development cooperation, UNICEF works to ensure that children everywhere grow up healthy and safe and can develop to their full potential. UNICEF provides humanitarian aid in crisis and conflict regions and supports children and their families through life-saving interventions such as medical care, WASH, child protection and education services. At the same time, UNICEF advocates for children’s rights at national and international level and influences the political agenda to improve the situation of children. UNICEF collects and analyzes data on children’s situations worldwide and works with partners to develop innovative solutions to better understand children’s needs and take targeted action.

UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein advocates for the rights and wellbeing of children worldwide by collecting donations from individuals, businesses and other organizations to fund UNICEF programs and activities around the globe. At national level, the focus is on compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child: UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein focuses in particular on raising awareness and influencing the political agenda in Switzerland in order to improve the situation of children across the country. In terms of education, workshops and teaching materials are also used to both inform and raise awareness about children’s rights. UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein monitors and collects data on the situation of children in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. With these findings, UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein often acts in an advisory capacity, for example on political questions.