Innovation

The challenge, To limit the transmission of the COVID-19 disease, many governments are requiring children over 12 to wear masks in schools. Throughout 2020 more than 50 countries have made mask-wearing upon leaving home compulsory, and the policy landscape shifts depending on the need in a given place. At the same time, there’s a general lack of understanding…, 756,000, 756,000 children’s masks have been bought so far as a result of the UNICEF children’s masks innovation project., 950,000, 950,000 more children’s masks are still required. Where children require masks in order to attend school UNICEF will work with government partners to ensure children can access education, but more funds are needed., The response, UNICEF is taking a three pronged approach to ensure appropriate masks for children are available and accessible to limit the spread of COVID-19.  Publishing  the first guidance on children’s masks  (UNICEF and the World Health Organization, Aug 2020).   Establishing a product innovation project in Cote d’Ivoire to support the local innovation and…, UNICEF’s unique positioning & partnership potential , UNICEF is uniquely positioned to understand children’s needs for mask-wearing due to the role the organization has played in developing the global guidance. In addition, UNICEF’s expansive network of offices that support governments with education programming and supplies for over 50 years is well positioned to offer a fast and effective…, Stories and media coverage

In October 2019, UNICEF launched the CryptoFund, a new financial vehicle allowing UNICEF to receive, hold, and disburse cryptocurrency - a first for the UN., The CryptoFund is a pooled fund of bitcoin and ether. It is a part of UNICEF's Innovation Fund, with the distinction that investments made through the CryptoFund are denominated in crypto. By sharing the public records of crypto transfers, the CryptoFund aspires to create visibility for the donor and the public, adding a layer of transparent…

We likely all have some memory of getting a certificate of participation for an activity when we were younger, whether it was competing in the school spelling bee, running track and field or your project at the science fair. Humans, young or old, enjoy various forms of recognition for their efforts and accomplishments. The element of competition …

The Government of Zimbabwe and UNICEF have become an official member of the Million Lives Club , an initiative that celebrates innovators and social entrepreneurs who are scaling up impact and improving the lives of those living on less than US$5 a day., The Government of Zimbabwe with support from UNICEF developed a mobile-to-web-based monitoring system which captures and stores water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) information in real time, using RapidPro . The Rural WASH Information Management System (RWIMS) provides quick access to current data on rural WASH infrastructure. This work has been…

Providing connectivity to the world remains a challenge. , According to the ITU, nearly 3.7 billion people remain unconnected from the internet, and by extension, unable to access digital products and services that could dramatically improve their lives.   UNICEF and ITU have launched  Giga, a global initiative to connect every school and it surrounding community to the Internet, connecting every child…, Meet Giga, Giga is an effort anchored in the UN Secretary-General's  High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation , which calls for global connectivity and for access to digital public goods.    In summary, Giga has four pillars: (1) Map Every School’s Connectivity, (2) Connect Every School, (3) Finance the Common Bid, and (4) Empower Young People with access to…, Blockchain in the Context of Giga, Blockchain prototypes for Giga pillars For each Giga pillar, UNICEF has developed prototypes that explore the benefits of blockchain, such as transparency, programmable logic (smart contracts), and cryptocurrency payments. A brief summary of the demos is included below.    Map Every School's Connectivity Status: Beta Blockchain to monitor school…, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency , A blockchain is a database of information that is distributed on multiple computers at the same time. Blockchains perform three main functions: they store information, track the exchange of value, and can be programmed to perform certain actions automatically (called smart contracts). Public blockchains are immutable, not run by one person or…

UNICEF and UNDP joined forces to launch the Innovation Week in its second edition. The objective of this virtual open innovation activity was to promote the co-creation of innovating ideas that contribute to solve critical problems the Country is facing today., The scale and ambition of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs require new responses and solutions to address development problems. But, above all, its achievement depends on the possibilities and opportunities that exist to expand and strengthen collaboration between multiple people and groups, mainly citizens. For this reason, from November 3 to 11, the…

Cutting-edge nanosatellites, designed and built by dynamic young women and girls from across Kazakhstan, lifted-off to explore the cosmos today.   The satellites will take high-resolution images of earth and the stars. Sensors will gather data on radiation, pressure, gravity, light and gas composition. Reams of data will be beamed back to earth …

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children and believes that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support the realization of children’s rights are critical to improving their lives. As recognised in the UN Secretary-General's Roadmap for Digital Cooperation Report in June 2020,  digital public goods - defined as “open…, Interested in learning more?, You can reach out to the UNICEF Innovation Fund at venturefund@unicef.org .  Join the Fund’s mailing list to receive the Investor Newsletter.   Subscribe to the Digital Public Goods Alliance mailing list. Nominate digital public goods through this form .

Innovation often brings to mind technology solutions, shiny objects and life improvements that would have generally seemed far-fetched a decade ago or so, including personalized medicine, self-driving cars or distance learning. Innovation, however, presents itself in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and comes from the unlikeliest of places.…

Frugal innovations are generally described as products or services that are often born out of necessity and lack of resources, built by the people who need them the most with locally sourced materials. Because of their characteristics, frugal innovations call for a radically new approach in the involvement of local communities. To support the…

Frugal innovations essential in environments of necessity unicef.org | Kangaroo mother care Saving preterm lives  through skin-to skin contact and cloth wrapping in resource-constrained parts of Tanzania to address the lack of incubators. Preventing diseases and promoting hand-washing in Darfur through unicef.org | Tippy tap transforms Zakiya's…

“We can do things differently, and we can do different things… Innovation is not only the most sophisticated technologies, sometimes it’s the simplest of things.” United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres Preventing disease and promoting hand-washing through simple devices made with low-cost salvaged materials. Saving preterm lives …, Stories