75 years of UNICEF with India

Since its inception in the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has focused on a single compelling mandate: to protect and support children and young people at risk – no matter who they are and where they live. What mattered to UNICEF was reaching every child in need, and protecting children’s rights to survive, thrive and reach their full potential.

From the ashes of war to the global challenges that affect millions today, our mandate has never wavered. UNICEF has consistently worked to protect the rights and well-being of all children. Whoever they are. Wherever they live.

UNICEF began its journey in India in 1949. Since then, UNICEF has partnered with the government and people of India promoting and protecting the rights and wellbeing of children in India. Steadfast in providing development and humanitarian assistance over the past 75 years, UNICEF has been part of India’s history.

UNICEF has been a committed and trusted partner of the Government of India and State Government programmes to support children to have the best possible start and opportunities in life; to enable children to develop and thrive. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the global Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and India Vision 2047, the collaboration between Government of India and UNICEF for five-year programme of cooperation (2023-2027) contributes to national flagship development goals.

India is one of UNICEF’s largest and most significant country programmes. As the most populous country, India is home to one in five of the world’s children with a leadership role in accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the SDGs accelerate pace in India, the world is in a better position to meeting the global goals.

As UNICEF marks 75 years of partnership with India, UNICEF is redoubling its support to children of India, cognizant of emerging realities and needs, and attuned to the priorities for children set by the Government of India.

Actively engaged in advancing child rights in India since 1949, on the very first year, UNICEF undertook a major public health initiative and supported the establishment of India’s first ever penicillin plant. In 1954, UNICEF helped establish a milk processing plant that brought solution to years of wastage of milk for the lack of preservation facilities. This also enabled the provision of free milk to children.

In the subsequent years, UNICEF continued to collaborate with the Government of India on a series of milestone initiatives from expanding science education to revolutionizing rural water supply programmes; to responding to calamities including droughts and floods in several states. UNICEF played a key role in malaria and polio eradication.

UNICEF was involved in championing initiatives to improve child nutrition, health, and education through such partnerships and support as the Guinea Worm Eradication Programme, National Mission on Immunization, Polio Eradication, women empowerment projects and support the National Health Mission.

UNICEF’s most recent efforts with the Government of India to uplift the lives of children includes support to the Swachh Bharat Mission for sanitation and extensive support to the COVID-19 pandemic response. UNICEF’s continued commitment to the well-being of children and communities is unwavering.

Theme of the overall campaign for UNICEF@75: ‘UNICEF with India’

Continue to promote and protect the rights of every child across India, based on shared goals of UNICEF and the Government and people of India to uphold the best interest of India’s children. 

On 10 May 2024, UNICEF marked 75 years of partnership with India. Throughout the year 2024, UNICEF is proud to commemorate the significant milestone with our partners, and stakeholders, celebrating the progress India has made for children, and recommitting to the unfinished agenda by reaching the last mile, and the last child in need.

The 75th anniversary is an opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the progress India has made and to rally support to India accelerating the SDGs for the world, in collaboration with all stakeholders – the government, civil society organizations, law and policymakers and every citizen of India – and advancing the rights of every child.

UNICEF stands for every right for every child, with our tagline For Every Child. Our mandate is creatively adapted in the lines given below.

For every child
Whoever she is.
Wherever he lives.
Every child deserves a childhood.
A future.
A fair chance.
That’s why UNICEF is there.
For each and every child.
Working day in and day out.
In 190 countries and territories.
Reaching the hardest to reach.
The furthest from help.
The most left behind.
The most excluded.
It’s why we stay to the end.
And never give up!