United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

When UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, originally known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, celebrated its 70th birthday in 2016, all its publicity and promotional materials carried the logo 70 years for every child. Its claim is to represent the interests of all children everywhere but especially for children at the margins whose needs might otherwise be overlooked. This entry presents the history, mandate, and organization of UNICEF and discusses its wider position in the spectrum of philanthropy and global capitalism.

History and Background

Founded in 1946, UNICEF began with the specific mission of providing emergency food and health care to children in the countries that had been destroyed by World War II. Its original name was United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. ...

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