The United Kingdom
UNICEF public sector partner
UNICEF’s longstanding partnership with the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) is invaluable. Together, we support children around the world – especially girls, persons with disabilities, children on the move, and those affected by emergencies – in some of the most fragile states. Our partnership focuses on education; health; and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and spans all geographies to address the full continuum of development, humanitarian and peace and security.
In 2021, the UK remained a key UNICEF partner, providing vital support to our humanitarian response to severe emergencies in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. The UK has also, in 2022, pledged critical support to UNICEF's response to the war in Ukraine.
Our deep policy collaboration and joint advocacy efforts at the global level on famine prevention, girls’ education, access to and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, and climate change have been critical to secure and move forward global commitments in these areas. Through the UK’s Presidency of the UN Security Council, the G7 Summit in Cornwall, COP26 in Glasgow and the UK-hosted Global Education and Global Vaccinations Summits, UNICEF worked closely with the UK Government in 2021 to address the needs of children and secure tangible commitments. We will continue to build on these efforts moving forward.
The UK was the seventh largest overall contributor to UNICEF in 2021, providing US$257 million in critical support for programming worldwide. The UK was also the single largest donor to UNICEF operations in Ethiopia, as well as to UNICEF’s Office of Research – Innocenti, while also providing critical flexible funding to UNICEF's emergency response, which allows UNICEF to provide urgent relief in underfunded or sudden-onset crises.
Thematically, the UK was among the top five contributors to UNICEF’s programmes to promote quality education and gender equality, resilience (support to the development-humanitarian nexus), and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes. The UK consistently plays a key advocacy role in promoting issues like girls’ education, global health, prevention and response to violence against women and girls, and eliminating harmful practices, as well as addressing and mitigating the impact of climate change.
2021 contributions to UNICEF
Core Resources for Results: US$22million
Other Resources (regular): US$106 million
Other Resources (emergency): US$129 million
Total: US$257 million
