Joint Statement on the occasion of World Children’s Day
Statement by UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden and Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport and UNICEF
NEW YORK / BRUSSELS, 20th November 2025 – Today marks the anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and World Children’s Day.
“Poverty is when you can’t afford to go out with your friends, or buy the things you need for school. It makes you feel different, like you don’t belong.”- Girl participant from Italy, UNICEF Innocenti qualitative research on child poverty
Today, on World Children’s Day, we unite our voices to reaffirm a shared commitment: No child should grow up in poverty.
Child poverty is not just a statistic, it is a denial of opportunity, dignity, and rights. Across Europe and beyond, nearly one in four children live at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This is a crisis that undermines the foundations of our societies and the futures of millions of children, globally.
We, UNICEF and the European Commission, stand together to break this cycle.
We recognise that poverty is multidimensional. It affects children’s access to nutritious food, safe housing, quality education, healthcare, and protection. It limits their ability to thrive and participate fully in society. And it disproportionately impacts children from marginalised communities, including those with disabilities, migrant backgrounds, and those living in conflict zones.
We also recognise that child poverty is not inevitable and that ending child poverty is possible. As highlighted by UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report: Ending child poverty: Our shared imperative, launched today, it is about our will to do so.
This year’s World Children’s Day calls for bold, coordinated action. Through the EU Child Rights Strategy and the European Child Guarantee, the EU is working to ensure every child has access to essential services. UNICEF continues to deliver life-saving support and advocate for systemic change, reaching millions of children with nutrition, education, child and family benefits, and protection services, globally.
Together, in Europe and beyond, and through our UNICEF – EU partnership we are:
- Putting more money into programmes that help children and families.
- Working closely with governments, civil society, and businesses to support children.
- Listening to children and including their ideas when making decisions that affect them.
- Tackling the deeper reasons why families are poor, using fair and inclusive solutions.
Investing in children is investing in our common future. The next Multiannual Financial Framework will continue to prioritise children’s rights, well-being and opportunities, ensuring that every child across Europe, and beyond, can grow up safe, healthy and able to fulfil their potential.
We call on all governments, donors, and stakeholders to prioritise children in policy and budget decisions and invest in the policies we know to be effective. Ending child poverty is not only a moral imperative, but also a strategic investment in peace, prosperity, and resilience.
When we reduce child poverty, we do more than help individual children; we lay the foundation for stronger, more united communities and more stable countries. Every child who grows up healthy, educated, and hopeful contributes to a society that is safer, more resilient, and more just.
In a time of global uncertainty, which is marked by conflict, climate crises, and economic instability, children must not be left behind. Their rights must be protected, their voices heard, and their futures secured.
On this World Children’s Day, let us listen to children’s voices, act on their needs, and build a future where every child can grow up safe, healthy, and hopeful.
