The UNICEF Vision for Early Childhood Development is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It outlines UNICEF's intent to support an organization-wide approach to child development in the early years of life, drawing on its mandate for child rights, multisectoral expertise,…

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) recently launched the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) Minimum Service Package (MSP). The MSP can address the MHPSS needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises by helping stakeholders coordinate MHPSS responses within and across sectors, addressing gaps, advocating for needs, and…

This executive summary of "Unlocking the Power of Digital Technologies to Support "Learning to Earning" for Displaced Youth" provides key insights and a roadmap for action from the full report, which itself provides an overview of how digital technologies are being used to support youth's transition from school to work,…

In Somalia, access to quality education has been severely weakened by decades of civil war, ongoing insecurity, and recurrent droughts and floods. Strengthening foundational learning through both formal and alternative pathways is critical, as out-of-school rates remain high -- 65 per cent at primary and 75 per cent at secondary. In 2024, working…

Young people face particular disadvantage finding employment, compared to older workers. This includes a lack of labour market and job-search information and experience, as well as a mismatch between youth aspirations and labour market realities, with limited job led growth. The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance on how the United…

Every child has the right to learn. Yet for far too many, that right remains unfulfilled. Poverty, environmental shocks, conflict, displacement, disability and discrimination continue to keep children out of school or stuck in classrooms without meaningful learning, or disrupt learning altogether. This is especially true for girls and other…

Every dollar cut from education is more than a cut to a budget line, as it costs generations their future, with the poorest paying the highest price. A new UNICEF analysis shows that international aid to education is projected to fall by US$3.2 billion by 2026--a 24 per cent drop. If the announced cuts to official development assistance (ODA)…

The compendium of solutions is a supporting document to the report "Unlocking the Power of Digital Technologies to Support 'Learning to Earning' for Displaced Youth." The compendium supplements the lessons learned and recommendations outlined in the main report by providing a deeper dive into the context, design, and implementation…

This report summarizes the challenges, opportunities and proposed actions during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as they relate to social protection, emergencies, the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme, immunization, education, child protection, nutrition, climate change, migrants, adolescents, mental health, gender…

There are nearly 200 million lower and upper secondary age adolescent girls and boys out of school globally, and if current trends continue, another 825 million children will not acquire basic secondary-level skills by 2030. Global momentum to achieve universal primary education has placed increased demands on secondary education systems to serve…

"Child Alert" is a briefing series that presents the core challenges for children in a given crisis location at a given time. This issue examines attacks on children's right to education in West and Central Africa, and provides examples of efforts to protect children and their learning opportunities in conflict-affected parts of the…

On 20 November 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a landmark achievement that has since become the world's most widely ratified human rights treaty. The Convention sets strict standards for signatory governments to protect the rights of every child. Published in connection with the 30th…

In sub-Saharan Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have far-reaching consequences for 550 million children under the age of 18. This UNICEF Child Alert examines how the disease and measures put in place to contain it are impacting the lives of children across the region, exacerbating existing threats like conflict, climate change and…

The Sustainable Development Goals highlight the critical importance of pre-primary education and set the broad ambition that by 2030 all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education. Today, the world is facing a learning crisis: While millions of…

"Reimagining Girls' Education: Solutions to Keep Girls Learning in Emergencies" presents an empirical overview of what works to support learning outcomes for girls in emergencies. Research shows that girls in emergencies are disadvantaged at all stages of education and are more likely to be out-of-school than in non-emergency settings.…