UNICEF works to ensure children's rights are upheld through predominantly raising funds and raising awareness. By operating in 190 of the world's most inhospitable places, UNICEF defends the rights of every child, to help them reach their full potential, from infancy through adolescence. As the world's leading supplier of vaccines, UNICEF works for children's health and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, quality education and skills development, HIV prevention and the treatment of mothers and their babies, as well as the protection of children and adolescents from violence and exploitation. In the rapidly changing ever more digitalised world, UNICEF believes innovative approaches are the key to the achievement of all other SDGs.
PROMOTING ACCESS TO CONNECTIVITY
Globally, 29% of people aged 15-24 are not online; around 60% of the population aged 15-24 in Africa are not online, compared with 4% of those in Europe. This deprives them of the same educational opportunities in the twenty-first century; exacerbating inequalities, reducing economic and educational openings. Many young people are unable to communicate, and develop skills, limiting their future. UNICEF urges governments to prioritise expanding and making available safe, sustainable digital connectivity in national plans and invites governments to participate in global connectivity. This is made possible by mapping school locations and connectivity gaps. You can read more about schools representing an ideal starting point for connecting young people and the connectivity inequality here. This is also in support of full digital inclusion and digital equality for traditionally marginalised groups. The United Nations Secretary General’s (SG) High-Level Panel (HLP) stresses the role of everyone in understanding and addressing new threats to human rights. The rapidly evolving technologies do pose threats, and the UN are designing new systems that supports and continues human rights, whilst complying with ethical standards.
PROMOTE INNOVATION BY INVESTING IN BUILDING SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE
There are 1.8 billion people aged between 10-24, ‘young people’, nearly 90% in low- and middle-income countries, yet opportunities are lacking; a vital window of opportunity to build skills and nurture creativity and development is being missed. Only 30% of the world’s poorest children attend secondary school, so UNICEF recommends governments to invest in building skills in adolescents and youth that prepare them for future job markets, including STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and social entrepreneurships. To drive industry and innovation for the future, governments must adopt policies to invest in education and youth ministries; the World Economic Forum, World Bank, UNDP and the UPSHIFT programme are examples of robust solutions of this. UNICEF stresses particularly a focus upon girls and vulnerable youth to reduce and eventually end all inequalities.
MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Another aim is to invest in digital mobile to engage and empower young people (aged 10-24), especially those that are marginalised or living in humanitarian crises. The engagement and participation of people our age is very important in enabling sustainable developments. To further engage them, they aim to consult on issues of political, social, and economic development, as this has not yet been done, as with asking their opinion or feedback in an emergency. Through technological advancement, young people can receive and comment on valuable information when reporting on what is happening in their communities, to improve both their own and the lives of their families and neighbours. If this aim continues, it shall systemise the engagement of young people in multiple ways, across media and communications channels.
UNICEF can support this effort due to their existing work in child-friendly education through the partnerships with the World's Largest Lesson, Comics Uniting Nations, and the Youth Activate Talk Methodology. These are platforms for young people, including you, to express their ideas on the SDGs through a variety of mediums.
This video explains the origins of the Youth Activate Talk Methodology, the aims, and how the United Nations will support it.
UNICEF is working endlessly and tirelessly to ensure the promotion of inclusive and sustainable industrialization, worldwide. The SDGs cannot be achieved without the realization of child rights. As world leaders work to deliver on the SDG9 promise, children, encouraged and empowered by UNICEF, around the globe are standing up to secure their right to good health, quality education, a clean planet, and more. UNICEF works with governments, partners, and other UN agencies to help countries ensure the goals deliver results for and with every child – now and for generations to come, as the leaders of the future.
Another excellent read from the Grade 11 CAS groups... and always lovely to get our UNICEF friends involved! Well done :)