Averting famine, Acting Early

What does new research say on structural reform, social protection, sustainable livelihoods, improved governance, and creating more robust health and education systems?

This latest edition of Research Watch - Averting Famine, Acting Early - asks the tough questions to a range of global experts. As UNICEF calls for an urgent escalation of humanitarian efforts to stop the crisis in the Sahel and the cycle of disasters, the experts offer an array of short, long and controversial solutions, and share insights into why Africa has endured four famines in the 21st Century, and why the world may struggle to avoid a fifth.

Stepping up the emergency response

UNICEF is stepping up assistance in Chad, where hundreds of thousands of children face malnutrition and calls for an urgent escalation of humanitarian efforts to stop the crisis and the cycle of disasters.

RW trailer

Translating evidence-based research into policy and action can change the reality for millions of vulnerable children. The analysis of new research, with provocative insights and ideas from global experts, provides policy makers with new perspectives on how equitable child well-being can be attained.

With previous discussions on Health and Equity, Child Safety Online and Early Childhood Development the next edition of Research Watch, slated to go live in April, focuses on Famine: More Failure?

2 Lives: 2 Miles Apart Episode 8 Disaster Haiti

In the eighth installment of 2 Lives:2 Miles Apart, Kicha and Michael tell us what they remember from January 12, 2010, the day a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake shook their home of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.

2 Lives:2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.
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2 Lives: 2 Miles Apart Episode 7 - School India

For a long time, it has been assumed that those in rural areas have worse access to education but children living in poor urban neighborhoods are among the least likely to attend school. Maansi and Manisha live in the same neighborhood of Mumbai but only one of them goes to school. Find out why in Episode 6 of 2 Lives:2 Miles Apart.

2 Lives:2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.

2 Lives: 2 Miles Apart Episode 6 Water Egypt

Poor sanitation and water supply increase children's risk of illness and death. 9 year-old Rahma can hardly believe that some people don't have regular access to water in Cairo but that is Wafa's reality just a short distance away.

2 Lives:2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.

2 Lives: 2 Miles Apart Episode 2 - labor Manila

Children around the world have to work, some in more hazardous conditions than others. Join Reynold and JB from the Manila Metro area in the Philippines, as they tell us how labor affects them.

2 Lives:2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.

2 Lives: 2 Miles Apart Episode 4 NYC

Although undernourishment is not a problem that afflicts the developed world, the issue of nutrition is becoming increasingly salient in major cities, such as New York City, where obesity is on the rise. Follow middle-schoolers Christopher and Chaz as they look for something healthy to snack on in their respective boroughs of the Bronx and Long Island.

2 Lives:2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.

2 Lives: 2 Miles Apart Episode 3 South Africa

Children can suffer dire consequences when they do not have regular access to safe spaces to play. Join John and Solomon, two brothers living in the Alexandra township, and Robin and Raven, two sisters living in the Orange Grove suburb, to find out how and where children play in Johannesburg.

2 Lives:2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.
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2 Lives: 2 Miles Apart Episode 2 - durable housing Argentina

Living area and durability of housing are major issues in urban settings around the world. Join Mariana and Bayan from Buenos Aires, as they tell us how about their journeys to Argentina and the new homes they have made for themselves there.

2 Lives: 2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.

2 Lives:2 Miles Apart Episode 1 - Egypt violence

Violence and crime are major issues in urban settings around the world. Join Eda and Ramazan from Istanbul, Turkey, as they tell us how they are affected by violence in their daily lives.

2 Lives: 2 Miles Apart is a series of films that highlights crucial issues impacting children in an urbanized world. "Children in Urban Areas" is the title of this year's "The State of the World's Children" report, released by UNICEF.

Why is equity in health care crucial for the well being of children?

The issues are tackled by Dr Cesar Victora, President of the IEA, Dr Janet Vega, Director of Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health Policy, Chile, and Dr Mickey Chopra, UNICEF's Chief of Health.

What must governments and industry do to combat the risks faced by young people on the internet?

A debate with John Carr, UN senior adviser; Peter Davies, Chief Executive at the UK's CEOP; and Nevine Tewfik, Research Director at Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies.

Sonia Livingston talking about the main findings from the report "EU kids Online"

Sonia Livingston, Head of the Department of Media and Communications at London School of Economics and Political Science, discusses the main findings from the report "EU Kids Online".

Main stats in a snap

This video is a brief snapshot of the report's key statistics. It takes you through figures on how and where children access the Internet, how they use it, how many are on social networking sites, how many have experienced bullying online, how many have experienced sexual solicitation and how many have physically met a stranger they first met online.

Children and their online lives

Do children know how to spot danger on the Internet? Do they know how to keep themselves safe? Who do they ask for help? Here children provide the answers.

Child Safety Online

The second edition of Research Watch, our portal dedicated to new global thinking on critical areas of child well-being, is focussed on the impact of the virtual world on the lives of children, and what governments and industry can do to combat the risks children face.

How to make Billions of Dollars

Calling early childhood development the "best possible investment", UNICEF’s Representative in Bangladesh Carel de Rooy discusses the need to programme around life cycles, the importance of ECD to human capital, and his concern that the required spending in ECD may not occur.

The Debate - Early childhood Development

A debate with Nobel Laureate Prof. J. Heckman, the Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, Dr. R. Horton, and the Chief of UNICEF's ECD Unit, Dr. N. Ulkuer.

How will we act?

Right now the world has an unprecedented opportunity to address inequities for young children. We have to ask ourselves what we must do and how we should do it in the best possible way to ensure all children get the right start.

Acting now to save the future

The evidence on the value and potential impact of early childhood is in. And it’s utterly convincing and compelling.
Read the full report.
Read the comment from UNICEF’s Executive Director.
See the human faces behind the issue.
Watch the hard facts filmed across Africa and Asia.
Read IRC's Director's take in The Guardian.

UNICEF IRC new website tour!

The new IRC website is an interactive global hub for sharing strategic ideas. IRC will extend the weight of its research by exploiting visual and social media, and online interactivity.

See how our website can help you to examine and participate in the world's continuing progress for children.

Andrew Mawson on evidence, exploitation and beating abuse

Innocenti’s Chief of Child Protection explains how UNICEF and our global partners use research to secure a better understanding of - and answers to - issues of violence, exploitation and abuse of children.

Female Genital Mutilation / Cutting: a UNICEF Innocenti documentary

Victims of Female Genital Mutilation / Cutting (FGM/C), and activists, share their insights and personal stories from Africa and Europe. Together they make a compelling case for the abandonment of FGM/C. This UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre documentary is in support of the Innocenti report, "The Dynamics of Social Change. Towards the abandonment of Female Gential Mutilation/Cutting in five African countries".

From theory to practice: making research work for every child

The role of Innocenti’s research is to provide knowledge and evidence for policy makers, and for the thousands of UNICEF staff and partners on the ground, in their efforts to improve the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children.

IRC’s new Director, Gordon Alexander, on why research matters for children

The Director of UNICEF’s Office of Reserch and Innocenti Research Centre outlines four areas of work where research is needed to inform policy in today’s rapidly changing environment.

Chris De Neubourg outlines talks social protection systems and the year ahead

The Chief of Social & Economic Policy at UNICEF’s Innocenti Research Centre, Chris De Neubourg, discusses his unit’s work on equity, research on multiple deprivations, and how social protection systems can improve the lives of children.

Peter Adamson - Listen to the author

Author of Report Card 9: The Children Left Behind Peter Adamson discusses which countries are allowing children to fall much further behind than others, why it needn’t be this way, and the consequences of 'falling behind' for children, for the economy and for society.

Meet three young boys - Fabio, Jason, and Marcell. Parts 2 & 3

Meet three young boys - Fabio, Jason, and Marcell.
They are from similarly impoverished backgrounds, but from different countries.
This short film follows Fabio, Jason and Marcell (from Italy, the Netherlands and the USA) as they describe what it’s like to be among the most disadvantaged children in their society.

Meet three young boys - Fabio, Jason, and Marcell. Part 1

Meet three young boys - Fabio, Jason, and Marcell.
They are from similarly impoverished backgrounds, but from different countries.
This short film follows Fabio, Jason and Marcell (from Italy, the Netherlands and the USA) as they describe what it’s like to be among the most disadvantaged children in their society.