Global Annual Results Report 2023
Programme results supported by contributions received from partners
The UNICEF 2023 Global Annual Results Report (GARR) highlights results for children and adolescents that have been achieved during the second year of implementation of its Strategic Plan, 2022-2025. The GARR presents progress and milestones across each of the five Goal Areas, as well as the cross-cutting area of gender equality. The report describes how UNICEF, together with partners, applied transformative change strategies and approaches to deliver results at scale for children, upholding their rights, and with a focus on the most vulnerable and marginalized girls and boys.
Implementation of the Strategic Plan is taking place at a crucial time when the human rights of children are under threat to a degree that has not been seen in more than a generation. The compounding nature of recent global challenges – including public health emergencies, conflicts, natural disasters and socio-economic challenges – has affected children worldwide. The midterm review of the Plan found that these crises have negatively affected UNICEF’s work and made it difficult to pursue long-term development in some countries. Despite these challenges, this is also a time of great opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children, not only over the next three years, but to 2030 and beyond.
2023 Headline results
Leveraging thematic resources for results
UNICEF has several funding modalities that work together to achieve lasting impact. This report highlights the achievements made possible by contributions to UNICEF, notably of softly earmarked global thematic funding received from partners.
Thematic funding is one of the best ways to achieve impact for children and it gives partners an opportunity to achieve large-scale results in the UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2022-2025. Thematic funds are unique in that they are spent across the four years of the Strategic Plan, supporting UNICEF to achieve its long-term targets and contribute to specific SDGs. They are used strategically to strengthen the social service systems on which children rely and enable a timely response to humanitarian crises.
The flexibility of thematic funding also enables UNICEF to work across the United Nations system ‘together as one’, to achieve common results that support even greater efficiency and impact. By contributing to the UNICEF mandate to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs, and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential, thematic resources facilitate longer-term planning and sustainability. They also yield a higher return on investment for results for children compared to tightly earmarked contributions, as lower indirect costs enable more funding to go towards programming.
Goal Area 1: Every child, including adolescents, survives and thrives, with access to nutritious diets, quality primary health care, nurturing practices and essential supplies.
In 2023, UNICEF continued to support countries to prevent malnutrition and poor health, save lives when prevention falls short, maintain critical services and continue strengthening the systems that support children’s ability to survive and thrive.
Goal Area 2: Every child, including adolescents, learns and acquires skills for the future.
In 2023, UNICEF continued to support children and adolescents through three pivotal learning transitions: early childhood education to prepare them for school; foundational learning to acquire literacy and numeracy; and skills development for adolescents and youth to prepare them to thrive in both life and work. Furthermore, UNICEF focused on the four cross-cutting areas of education in emergencies, digital learning, gender, equity and inclusion, and education and climate change.
Goal Area 3: Every child, including adolescents, is protected from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and harmful practices.
In 2023, UNICEF worked to scale up sustainable, evidence-based solutions to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation, abuse and harmful practices, as set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Goal Area 4: Every child, including adolescents, has access to safe and equitable water, sanitation and hygiene services and supplies, and lives in a safe and sustainable climate and environment.
In 2023, UNICEF worked to ensure that every child has access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and lives in a safe and resilient environment. Under this goal, UNICEF provided WASH services through direct support, helped government partners strengthen national WASH systems and addressed climate change, disaster risks and environmental degradation, with a focus on the most vulnerable children.
Goal Area 5: Every child, including adolescents, has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from poverty.
In 2023, UNICEF was dedicated to reducing child poverty and expanding access to inclusive social protection, including in fragile contexts and humanitarian crises. UNICEF supported governments to systematically mesure and monitor, child poverty and implement key policy solutions, including leveraging public finance for children, social protection system strengthening, enhancing coverage and inclusiveness. Moreover, UNICEF scale-up the delivery of cash in humanitarian contexts, while supporting local governance and urban development.
Gender Equality
In the second year of its Gender Action Plan, 2022-2025 (GAP), UNICEF continued to scale up investments in resources, leadership, capacity and accountability to accelerate results for women and girls and ensure an equal future for all girls and boys.
Mental Health
Promoting and protecting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children, adolescents, and their caregivers remains a cornerstone for achieving all the SDGs with a direct impact on SDG 3: ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being across all age groups.
Humanitarian Action
The rights of millions of children to life and safety, health care, adequate nutrition, education, safe water, social protection and protection from harm and exploitation came under grave threat in 2023 because of conflicts, violence, climate-induced emergencies and natural disasters – or, for the most vulnerable children, due to some overlapping mix of these conditions. Delivering on its mandate by working with governments and other partners, in 2023 UNICEF was able to provide a protective and life-saving response for children in 107 countries faced with 412 new or ongoing humanitarian crises.
Highlights
The 2023 Global Annual Results Report takes stock of UNICEF’s results at the global, regional and country levels, based on the goals and cross-cutting priorities of the UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2022-2025.
