News & Commentary
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Pre-pandemic data show 1 in 8 countries spends more on debt than on education, health and social protection combined – UNICEF
FLORENCE/NEW YORK, 1 April 2021 – Around 1 in 8 countries globally spends more on debt than on social services, according to a UNICEF report released today. COVID-19 and the Looming Debt Crisis notes that 25 countries globally – the majority of them already burdened by poverty and deprivation – spent a higher proportion of total government expenditure on debt service in 2019 than they did on education, health and social protection combined. Global efforts are needed to protect social spending, and with it the right of every child to social security, education and health services, says the report.
Article
UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival returns for its second edition in 2021
(19 March 2021) In recognition of the power of film to spark dialogue and new thinking about children, we inaugurated the UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival (UIFF) on the theme, “Growing up. Stories from around the world” in 2019. Through our celebration of global cinema on childhood we discovered a rich and diverse body of work with the potential to spark deep thinking about the issues children face around the world.
Press Release
Nutrition crisis looms as more than 39 billion in-school meals missed since start of pandemic – UNICEF and WFP
(28 January 2021) More than 39 billion in-school meals have been missed globally since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic due to school closures, according to a new report released today by the UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti and the World Food Programme (WFP). COVID-19: Missing More Than a Classroom notes that 370 million children worldwide – many of whom are reliant on school meals as a key source of their daily nutrition – have missed 40 per cent of in-school meals, on average, since COVID-19 restrictions shuttered classrooms.
Article
Call for Papers on Singularity and Diversity in Child, Early and Forced Marriage
(3 February 2021) UNICEF Innocenti’s Child Rights and Protection team is collaborating with guest editors from across the globe to develop a Supplement of the Journal of Adolescent Health focusing on child, early and forced marriage. We invite you to submit papers according to the details below.
Article
Discover the Best of UNICEF Research and Evaluation 2020
(15 December 2020) Evidence and objective assessment are needed more than ever to help enhance the rights and well-being of the world’s children. Researching the changing world around us and evaluating progress are critical to reimagining a better future for children everywhere. In recognition of this, the Best of UNICEF Research and Evaluation 2020 celebrates and showcases innovative and influential research and evaluations from UNICEF offices around the world.
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Child poverty will remain above pre-COVID levels for at least five years in high-income countries
FLORENCE/NEW YORK, 11 December 2020 – Child poverty is expected to remain above pre-COVID levels for at least five years in high-income countries. Yet, only 2 per cent of government-provided financial relief across OECD and EU countries was allocated specifically to support children and families raising children during the first wave of the pandemic, according to a new UNICEF report. Supporting Families and Children Beyond COVID-19: Social Protection in High Income Countries – produced by the UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti – explores how the social and economic impact of the pandemic is likely to affect children; the initial government responses to the crisis; and how future public policies could be optimised to better support children.
Press Release
How EdTech plus teachers are breaking down language barriers for refugee and migrant children in Greece
(9 December 2020) Worldwide, an estimated 13 million children are refugees and 19 million children are displaced within their own countries. As of early 2020, around 42,500 refugee and migrant children resided in Greece alone. For many of these children, learning remains out of reach due, in large part, to a lack of knowledge of the host country’s language. As teachers navigate teaching children from various linguistic and academic backgrounds in the same classroom, education technology (EdTech) helps break down this barrier by personalizing learning so each child can learn at their own pace.
Press Release
New study unveils challenges affecting teacher attendance in sub-Saharan Africa
(4 November 2020) Important new research on teacher absenteeism in sub-Saharan Africa was launched today at a regional online workshop of national and international education stakeholders organized in Nairobi, Kenya. Time to Teach: Teacher attendance and time on task in Eastern and Southern Africa, provides insights into the drivers of primary school teacher absenteeism, a major obstacle in efforts to address the learning crisis in children of low- and middle-income countries around the world.
Press Release
Florence turns blue to celebrate World Children's Day 2020
(20 November 2020) The loggia of the Istituto degli Innocenti in Piazza Santissima Annunziata and the historical gates of the city turned blue in celebration of World Children’s Day on 20 November, 2020. An initiative launched by UNICEF to #TurnTheWorldBlue, this year’s event is dedicated to reimagining the post-pandemic future of all children at a time when millions around the world have been hit hard. Coronavirus is having severe impact on the health, well-being and education of children; hence, World Children’s Day aims to empower children to play an active role in creating a more child-friendly world.
Article
Addressing the Multiple Impacts of COVID-19 on Children Beyond Masks
(19 November 2020) From health to education, every child in the world has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many impacted in multiple ways. As the crisis rages on, further entrenching pre-existing inequalities, there is an urgent need for scalable and cost-effective solutions for children. Such solutions require more evidence on COVID-19, which is not yet available. A new report by the UNICEF Office of Research—Innocenti, Beyond Masks: Societal impacts of COVID-19 and accelerated solutions for children and adolescents, examines past health crises (such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, and Ebola) to provide insights into COVID-19, and proposes proven and promising solutions.
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Children and COVID-19 Research Library cuts through the noise
(15 November 2020) The UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti has produced the Children and COVID-19 Research Library to highlight the available global scientific research and evidence on children and the coronavirus pandemic. The Children and COVID-19 Library is a searchable database of research from the most reputable sources around the world on the coronavirus pandemic and its impacts on children and adolescents. It is one of the most advanced publicly accessible databases of research on COVID-19 and children available.
Article
Children in the poorest countries have lost nearly four months of schooling since start of pandemic
NEW YORK/PARIS/Washington D.C. 29 October 2020 - New report looks at national education responses to COVID-19 including lost learning; remote learning support for students, parents and teachers; school reopening plans; health protocols; and financing. Schoolchildren in low-and lower-middle-income countries have already lost nearly four months of schooling since the start of the pandemic, compared to six weeks of loss in high-income countries, according to a new report published today by UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank.