Policy advocacy and partnerships for children's rights

Introduction

Social and Economic Policy

UNICEF focuses on the critical impact social and economic policy issues have on children. Learn more about Social and Economic Policy work at UNICEF.

Our work is centered around child poverty and disparities, social protection, migration and social budgeting.

Bringing children's rights to the centre of public policy

Policy analysis is an essential aspect of UNICEF’s work with governments, law-makers, the media, civil society and international organizations on behalf of children and women. By analysing economic, social and legal policies, we can better understand the circumstances and forces that affect the well-being of children and women around the world. From this analysis, we can determine whether, for example, poverty, poor health or the absence of legal protection are being adequately addressed, and in turn develop new policy approaches and actions to improve the results of economic, social and democratic governance programmes for children and women.

UNICEF subjects national and international policies to scrutiny against the norms and standards set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (external link). This analysis is shared with our partners, including monitoring bodies such as the Committee on the Rights of the Child (external link), so that fulfilment of children’s rights can be at the centre of global and country-level policy debates, and programmes for poverty reduction and human development.

In these pages, you will find:

Working papers on socio-economic and legal issues affecting children and women;
Information on UNICEF’s work on socio-economic disparity analysis, poverty reduction begins with children; Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers; Sector-Wide approaches and how they affect children and women; rights of indigenous and ethnic minority children; and legislative reform.
Links to related websites.

External links open in a new window and will take you to non-UNICEF web sites.