UNICEF was a General Assembly that was created on December 11, 1946. UNICEF is the United Nations Children's Fund, which is a non-political advocate for children that works in 156 countries to make a difference to the lives of women and children. The name was shortened from United Nations International Children's Emergency in 1953. It works under the vision of a utopian society where the rights of every child will be met- a world without sickness, poverty or abuse.

Through contact with UNICEF the lives of millions of children have taken a turn for the better, but millions more still need our help.

UNICEF believes that every child is equal- with an absence of discrimination, it works to save the most desperate of children- working to give every colour and size of child the oppurtunity to live a privledged life and the right to be heard. The fund works closely with victims of war, extreme poverty, violence and exploitation and is guided by the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child- a set of universally agreed upon standards concerning the rights of children, to give them a chance to find a place in the world.

Unicef uses the term 'child protection' refering to preventing and responding to violence, exploitation and abuse against children - including child labour, harmful traditional practices, trafficking... The child protection programmes also target children who are uniquely vulnerable to these abuses, such as when living without parental care, in conflict with the law and in armed conflict.

In United States, Canada, and some other countries, UNICEF is known for its "Trick-or-treat for UNICEF" program, where the children collect money for UNICEF from houses they trick-or-treat at.

UNICEF aims to:

-Give children the best start in life

-Get all girls into school

-Ensure that children are immunised against the common childhood diseases

-Prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people

-Involve everyone in creating protective environments for children

-Achieve equality for those who are discriminated against

To find out how you can get involved with UNICEF you can visit the website: http://www.unicef.org.au/

Thank you for helping to spread the Christmas spirit

-Becky-
-Beatrice-