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Smiling mother in a blue shirt kisses her baby daughter’s cheek in a park; the baby wears pink and a bow in this joyful, loving scene.

About UNICEF: The Enduring Work

Enduring work looks different from what most people picture. It’s not a single project, program or activity. It’s keeping a child vaccinated across six years of political instability. It’s a water system still serving a community in 2026, because we helped train a local worker to keep it running in 2021.  It’s a girl who went to school in a UNICEF supported classroom in 2008, graduated secondary school, and is now a nurse serving her community. We’ve been doing this long enough to see those second and third chapters.

Care Hard, Defined.

We work for a future where our help is no longer needed.

Every country we work in, we're working toward the same thing: a strong national health system, nutrition programs that prevent child malnutrition, a school system that works for all children after we go. We've done that in dozens of countries already. The goal is always a country that needs us a little less next year than it did this year.

We work in places far from the spotlight.

Some of the places we work haven't been in the headlines for years. Some never have. Children there need the same things as those in places where the world is watching—vaccines, safe water, nutrition, a legal identity through a birth registration. But we show up. Birth registration alone registers children across more than 100 countries, in communities far from any emergency, because every child deserves to officially exist.

We make the invisible work possible.

Getting a vaccine from a factory in India to a child in rural Chad requires one of the most impressive supply chain operations on Earth. Cold chains through deserts. Medicine moving across oceans. Coordination with governments, communities, and local partners to move production closer to where we work. Countries that partner with us and trust us to be there. The work we do with governments isn't always visible. But it is sustainable.  

Care Hard. For every single child.

Not just the ones in the headlines. Every child. The ones the world remembers and the ones it doesn't know about. That's been the job since 1946. And it will still be the job going forward.  

Mission:

Inspiring Canadians to ignite global change and lasting impact through UNICEF—the world’s most powerful force for children.

Vision:

A world that upholds the rights of all children and helps every child thrive.

Child smiling at camera

Most of it is behind the scenes. The impact is anything but.

We support immunization campaigns in the places hardest to reach. This includes the cold chains, the trucks, the clinics, the community health workers treating preventable conditions where infrastructure is thin. UNICEF supported vaccination programs have helped save over 154 million lives in the last 50 years. The work is quiet. The number is not.
Read more about UNICEF's work in health

Malnutrition looks different than most people think.

Malnutrition isn't just underweight children. It's a baby a few hundred grams short of healthy. It's a child with enough calories but not enough nutrients. Increasingly, it's children living with obesity - a growing part of what we work on globally. We screen, treat, and work with local governments and communities to address all of it, so the next generation has better options than the last.
Learn more about UNICEF's work in nutrition

27.8 million children. Back in school.

But school is just the start. We work around the world to ensure children receive quality education. That means learning in languages they understand, in accessible classrooms and with trained teachers that will help them succeed.
Learn more about UNICEF's work in education

Safe water in over 100 countries. Including places far from the nearest source.

We search for water deep underground. We install pumps and sanitation facilities to keep children hydrated and healthy. We build solar-powered water systems designed to keep water flowing for years to come. We truck in water and hygiene supplies during emergencies to defend against disease and malnutrition.
Read more about UNICEF's work in water, sanitation and hygiene

We work with governments to register the children who officially don’t exist.

A child can’t be protected by a system that doesn’t know they exist. We help strengthen birth registration so children can access health care and education and be better protected from violence, abuse and exploitation.
Read more about UNICEF's work in child protection

We stand up for children’s rights. Everywhere.

In 1989, the UN adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, outlining the rights that every child needs and deserves to thrive. Canada was one of the first countries to sign. We work with governments, including our own, to live up to these obligations.
Read more about UNICEF's work in rights and equity

Care Hard. Change lives.

Because children don’t stop needing help when the world’s attention moves on. That’s why sustained support matters long after a crisis does.
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Children in a rural village run joyfully toward a turquoise soccer ball on dry red earth, with a simple brick house and trees behind them.

Last year, by the numbers

In 2025, because of donors like you:

View Our 2025 Impact Report
Smiling UNICEF volunteer in a blue shirt speaks through a megaphone outdoors, with a community gathering, lawn, trees, and city buildings behind.

Yes. Canada too.

Most people think UNICEF only works  outside of Canada. We work here as well. We empower youth advocates across the country. We work in coalitions with child rights organizations.  We push the government on child poverty, mental health, and climate policy. Sure, the crises in Canada don't always look like the ones overseas. But our team works tirelessly for kids in Canada too.  

UNICEF History:

A lot has happened in 80 years.

1946:

World War II

UNICEF is created in the aftermath of World War II to help children and young people affected by the war.

Black-and-white photo of nurses providing a child vaccination beside a jeep in a tropical field; the public-health outreach feels calm and caring.

1955:

Canadian Expansion

UNICEF Canada was founded by volunteers to advance UNICEF’s global mission through fundraising, advocacy and awareness in Canada.

Black-and-white photo of nurses providing a child vaccination beside a jeep in a tropical field; the public-health outreach feels calm and caring.

1965:

Nobel Peace Prize

UNICEF is awarded the 1965 Nobel Peace Prize “for the promotion of brotherhood among nations."

Two elderly men in formal suits exchange a document and handshake at a ceremonial table, with officials seated behind them and flowers nearby.

1975:

Indian Mark II

With the help of the Indian government, UNICEF developed the India Mark II, a simple, affordable water pump that transformed rural water access.

Black-and-white scene of women and children collecting water from a hand pump, carrying metal pots in a rural village; everyday resilience.

1980:

Smallpox Eradicated

UNICEF helps eradicate smallpox with a global rollout of immunizations and monitoring. This remains among the most notable and profound public health successes in history.

Baby receives a vaccination in the arm while held by a caregiver; a healthcare worker administers the shot in a clinic setting.

1989:

Children’s Rights

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is adopted by the UN General Assembly, establishing a global commitment to protect the rights of every child.

Black-and-white UN meeting: three officials sit at a conference table beneath the United Nations emblem, listening in a formal setting.

1994:

School-in-a-Box

UNICEF and UNESCO launch School-in-a-Box, helping children continue learning during crises. Each portable classroom kit supports a teacher and 40 students for up to three months.

Smiling girls hold bright blue UNICEF books among classmates, while one writes; a lively classroom scene conveys joy and learning.

2007:

U-Report Established

UNICEF develops U-Report, a digital community for young people, by young people. Across over 101 countries, U-Report empowers young people to share their voice on issues that matter to them.

Four smiling adults pose for a selfie outdoors in black Report T-shirts; a sunny red wall and their expressions convey joy and unity.

2016:

Canada Child Benefit

Introduced following years of advocacy by UNICEF Canada and many partners for stronger child and family income supports.

Mother helps two young children draw at a table while a toddler holds colorful pencils; a warm, focused family learning scene.

2020:

COVID-19 Vaccines

UNICEF supported the global COVID-19 response and helped deliver over 2 billion vaccine doses through COVAX, reaching 146 countries in the largest rollout in history.

Woman in a UNICEF shirt shouts into a microphone beside a megaphone at a rally, surrounded by blue balloons and supporters; urgent, passionate mood.

2020:

UNICEF Canada Youth Advocacy Program Established

This 10-month program helps young people learn the skills and knowledge needed to become powerful advocates and activists in Canada.

Baby in a pink bonnet and colorful shirt faces a masked caregiver indoors, sharing a curious, tender moment in a warm community setting.

2024:

National School Food Program

Launched following longstanding advocacy from UNICEF Canada and partner organizations for a national approach to school food.

Children share a classroom lunch as a girl pours water into a cup, surrounded by sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, and classmates.

What does the name UNICEF stand for?

United Nations Children's Fund

Our original name was United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, adopted in 1946 after the Second World War. We’ve kept the acronym and dropped “emergency" from the name. We didn’t drop it from the job.

When you care hard, we can care harder.

Support UNICEF’s life-saving work for children around the world and help make lasting change possible.
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