UNICEF Philippines

UNICEF Philippines

UNICEF Philippines
Abbreviation	UNICEF Philippines
Formation	1948
Type	Country office
Legal status	Active
Headquarters	Manila, Philippines
Head	Lotta Sylwander (Country Representative)
Parent organization	UNICEF
Website	www.unicef.ph

UNICEF Philippines is one of over 190 country offices of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). One of the first UNICEF offices established in Asia, it works to uphold the rights of children in the Philippines, including their right to education, healthcare and protection from abuse and exploitation. It also advocates for political change in support of children, and works with partners from the public and private sectors to create change through sustainable programs.

UNICEF was created in 1946 to provide food, clothing and healthcare to children in Europe after the Second World War. In 1953, the UN General Assembly extended UNICEF’s mandate. and in 1989 it adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which has since become the most widely adopted human rights treaty in history. The CRC now underpins UNICEF’s work around the world, including in the Philippines, and defines children’s rights.

UNICEF works to provide a safe and protective environment for vulnerable children, including victims of abuse, exploitation and violence. UNICEF develops and strengthens child protection networks at the community, local and national levels. The organization also supports the establishment of Child Protection Units and specialized courts to help victims of child exploitation and abuse. In the Philippines, UNICEF has lobbied successfully for the passage of several major laws to protect children’s rights, including the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009.

UNICEF's disaster risk reduction (DRR) program aims to establish models of child-centered disaster risk management for eventual replication by local government units (LGU), as a basis for integrating DRR in their local development plans. Aside from bridging the gap between community-based activities and public policy, UNICEF also facilitates the partnership of non-government organizations with LGUs to adopt child-sensitive and child-centered DRR and climate change adaptation plans and programs.

UNICEF works to achieve quality and inclusive education for all children in the Philippines. UNICEF supports the Philippine Government’s thrust to expand access to quality Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), which includes universal Kindergarten. UNICEF's education program aims to provide an equitable platform for learning to ensure that young children are ready to learn and enter school at the right age, and that marginalized and excluded children participate in and complete quality elementary education.