UNICEF WorldwideUNICEF exists to protect the rights of children worldwide. In 1989, those rights were set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child - the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history and UNICEF's primary guide for achieving its mission. The Convention outlines a broad variety of rights based on the following core principles: - All children have the same right to develop their potential Poverty is a major obstacle to realizing the rights of children. It hurts children disproportionately, abridging their rights by weakening their protective environment and creating conditions in which threats such as child abuse and exploitation can flourish. Indeed, most of the world's poor people are children. Children often inherit poverty from a previous generation. Malnourished women give birth to underweight babies. As those babies grow into early childhood, their health is compromised by micronutrient deficiencies that impede their development, while unsanitary conditions at home and school cause frequent illness and poor academic performance. Bad grades or familial obligations cause them to drop out of school and take low-paying jobs that keep them below the poverty line—if they manage to find work at all. So it continues, in a repeating cycle. Breaking that cycle starts with giving children access to quality health care, good nutrition, education, and early development—the areas where UNICEF's efforts are concentrated. Pursued diligently, a commitment to realizing the rights of children produces a more equitable society and a healthier, more productive population. It therefore represents not only a sound moral choice, but an intelligent economic investment in the future.
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