#OneStep towards a better future

In December, UNICEF will mark the 80^th anniversary of its founding and celebrate one of history's strongest multilateral commitments to advancing children's rights and well-being. This milestone comes at a time of shrinking resources for children, which is threatening the sustainability of essential programmes, especially for the most vulnerable children.  

Child rights are also increasingly being deprioritised and are less visible in public and policy narratives. At the same time, children continue to be disproportionately impacted by a new landscape of environmental, financial, digital, and normative risks, which threaten to reverse years of progress. 

UNICEF's 80th year is not only a moment for commemoration. It is a call to reaffirm UNICEF's mandate, and to protect what children stand to lose unless the world changes course and steps up for every child. 

This is an important moment to rally our partners and renew UNICEF's global and local commitment to children's rights. It is also a moment to highlight some of the greatest achievements for children over the last 80 years and to demonstrate that change at scale is possible.  

In Zimbabwe, this milestone presents an opportunity to amplify awareness, celebrate achievements, and mobilise stakeholders around the ongoing and future priorities for children. 

The Zimbabwe Country Office (ZCO) is implementing an @80 Child Rights Advocacy Campaign aimed at increasing visibility and and engagement, on children's rights .

Launching this campaign on the Day of the African Child is symbolic because it commemorates the courage of children to stand up and speak about their rights. This initiative, therefore, underscores the urgency of addressing challenges that prevent children's rights from being fully realised.