09/18/2019
UNICEF and the Sustainable Development Goals
https://www.unicef.org/sdgs
Section, The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 to end poverty, reduce inequality and build more peaceful, prosperous societies by 2030. Also known as the Global Goals, the SDGs are a call to action to create a world where no one is left behind. The SDGs cannot be achieved without the realization…, Section, SDG 1 Project Everyone, End poverty in all its forms, everywhere., Poverty denies children their fundamental rights to nutrition, health, water, education, protection, shelter and more – diminishing their ability to build a better future for themselves and generations to come. Without global action, Child poverty child poverty is likely to entrench social inequality and cut off the most vulnerable girls and boys…, End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture., Good nutrition is the bedrock of child survival, health and development. Well-nourished children are better able to grow and learn, to participate in their communities, and to be resilient in the face of disease, disaster and other emergencies. Worldwide, nearly half of all deaths in children under 5 are attributable to undernutrition. UNICEF…, Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages., More children survive now than ever before. Yet, in 2018 alone, 6.2 million children and young adolescents died, mostly from preventable causes. UNICEF works around the world to strengthen health systems; immunize and treat children for pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and other health conditions; help countries combat non-communicable diseases; and…, Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all., More children and adolescents today are enrolled in pre-primary, primary and secondary education than ever before. And in general, girls and boys attend school in nearly equal numbers. But for many children, schooling does not lead to learning. Progress improving access to education and the quality of learning has not been even across the world.…, Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls., Dropping out of school to assume household responsibilities, being pressed into child marriage, experiencing gender-based violence ─ harmful gender norms take many forms. Gender disparities can start at birth, and they expand as children age. Today, some 650 million girls and women around the world have been married as children, and over 200…, Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all., Contaminated water and poor sanitation are among the leading causes of death for children under 5. Without proper water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), children face an increased risk of preventable diseases and suffer malnutrition, stunting and other critical health issues. Lack of sanitation and hygiene undermines progress in other areas of…, Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all., Every year, over half a million children under the age of 5 die from causes related to air pollution . Even more will suffer lasting damage to their developing brains and lungs. Access to affordable and clean energy is critical to children’s development and well-being. And the benefits of renewable energy go beyond physical health. In addition to…, Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all., Today’s global youth unemployment rate is 13 per cent – three times higher than the adult rate. Without urgent investment in education and skills training, the rapidly growing population of young people – expected to reach nearly 2 billion by 2030 – will be largely unprepared for the workforce. Meanwhile, nearly 1 in 10 children worldwide are…, Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation., Some 4 billion people – nearly a third of them between the ages of 18 and 24 – are unconnected from the internet. This growing population of young people is in danger of being left behind, excluded from the modern digital world and technologies that could dramatically improve their lives. UNICEF has a long history of applying innovation in…, Reduce inequality within and among countries., Progress to eradicate poverty has been uneven. Poverty is just one of the reasons children may be cut off from essential care and services. Across the world, girls and boys are also excluded due to discrimination on the basis of gender, disability, language and ethnicity. Marginalization makes it difficult for groups to enjoy progress and escape…, Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable., Half of the world’s children live in urban areas. And this number is projected to reach almost 70 per cent by mid-century. Since 1996, UNICEF has promoted the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative . Together with partners, we support governments to create urban spaces where children can access basic services, clean air and water; and where they feel…, Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns., Current consumption and production trends continue to create toxic waste and reduce valuable natural resources. Children are the least responsible for environmental degradation , yet they will bear the greatest burden of its impact – mostly in the form of health and developmental issues. Decades of evidence shows that widespread behaviour change,…, Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts., Climate change is a direct threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow and thrive. Close to 90 per cent of the burden of disease attributable to climate change is borne by children under the age of 5. Today, for the first time, a global generation of children will grow up in a world made far more dangerous and uncertain by changing climate and a…, Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development., Today, 530 million children live in extremely high flood occurrence zones, and 1 in 4 children will live in areas of extreme water stress by 2040. The impacts of climate change are being felt around the world. For many children, a change in climate is felt through a change in water . In times of drought or flood, in areas where the sea level has…, Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems; sustainably manage forests; combat desertification; halt and reverse land degradation; and halt biodiversity loss., Land degradation, together with forest, species and biodiversity loss, is interconnected with climate change and poses a serious threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow and thrive. While these issues are not central to UNICEF’s programmes, children and youth have expressed in no uncertain terms that protecting and preserving all living things…, Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development; provide access to justice for all; and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels., No child should ever be exposed to violence, abuse or neglect. Yet millions of children around the globe continue to face violence in their homes, schools, communities and online. Children uprooted by conflict and disaster are particularly vulnerable to violence, including child labour and other forms of exploitation. Violence takes many forms:…, Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development., Partnerships are critical to achieve results for every child. Everyone has a role to play in advancing the SDGs. UNICEF’s ability to support and empower children and their families depends on our partners , who provide critical resources that enable us to reach children wherever they are. We work with a broad range of partners at the global,…
