Children have a right to equitable development and humanitarian assistance irrespective of who they are or where they live, and UNICEF is committed to protecting and promoting this right as a moral and legal imperative. Nonetheless, various factors play a decisive role in the nature and volume of international assistance that a particular child is likely to receive.Chief among these factors is the trend of a constrained public resources environment, greater competition for private resources, and increased restrictions on all types of resources. This has a profound effect on UNICEF’s ability to implement its core business of focusing on the poorest and most vulnerable children.
As a United Nations agency and as the only child rights organization whose mandate is articulated in an international convention (Convention on the Rights ofthe Child), UNICEF is uniquely placed to respond to the needs of children in all situations, whether in times of peace or crisis. But to be truly effective requires a steady and reliable flow of resources so as to meet
the right needs at the right time.
