Publications

Best of UNICEF Research showcases the most rigorous, innovative and impactful research produced by UNICEF offices worldwide. While evidence highlights emerging issues, it also informs decisions and provides policy and programme recommendations for governments and partners, to improve children's lives.

This year, Best of UNICEF Research celebrates its 10th edition. It features 12 research projects that the selection panel concurred deserved special recognition for delivering results for children in 2022. How? By informing decision-making, shaping policy, raising public awareness, driving social change, and giving children and young people a voice on the issues that affect them most through participatory research.

These endeavours showcase both the power of innovation in the face of emergency and crisis, and the virtues of agility, endurance and scalability. They also offer solutions and ways to learn from each other. Each piece of research offers a set of adaptable tools: validated methodologies; templates for emergency response plans; methods of monitoring and measuring progress; and examples of successful collaboration between stakeholders. 

 

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 two sides of the same coin, both critical to reimagining a better future for children. In recognition of this, UNICEF celebrates and showcases innovative and influential research and evaluations from our offices around the world every year. For 2020, Innocenti and the Evaluation Office joined forces to find the most rigorous UNICEF studies with greatest influence on policies and programmes that benefit children.

I bambini hanno migliori prospettive di vita e i genitori sono in grado di bilanciare meglio il lavoro e gli altri impegni in paesi che hanno delle politiche a sostegno delle famiglie. Queste includono il congedo parentale retribuito, il sostegno per l’allattamento al seno, l’assistenza all’infanzia e l’educazione prescolare a prezzi accessibili e di alta qualità. Il presente rapporto esamina le politiche favorevoli alla famiglia di 41 paesi ad alto e medio reddito attraverso quattro indicatori a livello nazionale: la durata delle ferie retribuite a disposizione delle madri, la durata delle ferie retribuite riservata specificamente ai padri, la quota di bambini sotto i tre anni nei nidi e centri per l’infanzia e la quota di bambini tra i tre anni e l’età dell’obbligo scolastico nei centri e scuole per l’infanzia. Svezia, Norvegia e Islanda sono i tre paesi che più sostengono le famiglie per i quali disponiamo di dati completi. Cipro, Grecia e Svizzera occupano gli ultimi tre posti. Dieci dei 41 paesi non dispongono di dati sufficienti sull’infanzia per essere inseriti nella nostra classifica. Non abbiamo a disposizione abbastanza informazioni aggiornate per mettere a confronto i diversi paesi sulla qualità dei centri per l’infanzia o sulle tariffe e le politiche per l’allattamento al seno. Per i paesi più ricchi esiste un margine per migliorare le loro politiche familiari e per raccogliere dati più accurati.

Children get a better start in life and parents are better able to balance work and home commitments in countries that have family-friendly policies. These include paid parental leave, support for breastfeeding and affordable, high-quality childcare and preschool education. This report looks at family-friendly policies in 41 high- and middle-income countries using four country-level indicators: the duration of paid leave available to mothers; the duration of paid leave reserved specifically for fathers; the share of children below the age of three in childcare centres; and the share of children  between the age of three and compulsory school age in childcare or preschool centres. Sweden, Norway and Iceland are the three most family-friendly countries for which we have complete data. Cyprus, Greece and Switzerland occupy the bottom three places. Ten of the 41 countries do not have sufficient data on childcare enrolment to be ranked in our league table. There is not enough up-to-date information available for us to compare across countries the quality of childcare centres or breastfeeding rates and policies. There is scope for the world’s richest countries to improve their family policies and collect better data.

En los 15 años transcurridos desde la adopción de la versión original de la Declaración de Innocenti, en 1990, se ha logrado un notable progreso en lo que a mejorar las prácticas mundiales de alimentación de lactantes y niños pequeños se refiere. No obstante ello, las prácticas de alimentación inapropiadas, es decir la alimentación subóptima o la ausencia de lactancia materna y la alimentación complementaria inadecuada, continúan representando la principal amenaza para la salud y la supervivencia infantil en todo el mundo. Una mejor práctica de la lactancia materna por si sola ayudaría a salvar las vidas de más de 3.500 niños y niñas por día, más que cualquier otra intervención preventiva. Guiados por principios aceptados de derechos humanos, en especial aquellos plasmados en la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño, nuestra visión es crear un entorno que permita a las madres, sus familias y otras personas a cargo del cuidado de los niños realizar decisiones informadas acerca de una alimentación óptima, definida como la lactancia materna exclusiva durante seis meses con la posterior introducción de la alimentación complementaria apropiada y la lactancia materna continuada hasta los dos años de edad o más.

Depuis 15 ans qu’a été adoptée la première Déclaration Innocenti, en 1990, l’alimentation des nourrissons et des jeunes enfants a fait des progrès remarquables dans le monde entier. Cependant, des pratiques alimentaires inappropriées - allaitement insuffisant ou inexistant et alimentation complémentaire inadéquate - restent dans le monde ce qui menace le plus la santé et la survie de l’enfant. Une amélioration de la pratique de l’allaitement maternel pourrait à elle seule sauver chaque jour les vies de plus de 3500 enfants, soit plus que toute autre action préventive. Conformément aux principes communément admis des droits de la personne humaine, en particulier ceux énoncés dans la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant, notre but est de créer un environnement permettant aux mères, aux familles et aux autres personnes qui s’occupent des enfants de choisir en pleine connaissance de cause une alimentation optimale, qui est définie comme un allaitement maternel exclusif jusqu’à l’âge de six mois, suivi par l’introduction d’une alimentation complémentaire appropriée en parallèle avec la continuation de l’allaitement au sein jusqu’à l’âge de deux ans ou audelà.

Nel 1990 con la Dichiarazione degli Innocenti sulla Protezione, Promozione e Sostegno all'Allattamento Materno si è stabilita una agenda internazionale con obiettivi ambiziosi da raggiungere. Nel Novembre 2005 Firenze ha nuovamente ospitato un congresso internazionale per la celebrazione del 15mo anniversario della Dichiarazione degli Innocenti. L'anniversario è stato celebrato per: valutare i progressi fatti nella promozione, protezione e sostegno all'allattamento materno a partire dal 1990; richiamare l'attenzione dei governi, della società civile e dei donanti ad aumentare gli sforzi per l'attuazione degli obiettivi della Dichiarazione degli Innocenti e degli obiettivi addizionali stabiliti nel 2002 con la Strategia Globale per l'alimentazione dell'infanzia e del bambino; accrescere la coscienza intorno al diritto di ogni bambino ad una alimentazione adeguata, e agli obblighi per ogni settore della società ad assicurare che questo diritto venga rispettato. La Dichiarazione degli Innocenti sull'alimentazione dell'infanzia e del bambino riprende i rinnovati impegni presi durante questa storica celebrazione e registra i 5 obiettivi addizionali che sono stati identificati come parte della Strategia Globale in corso sull'alimentazione dell'infanzia e del bambino.

In 1990 the Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding set an international agenda with ambitious targets for action. In November 2005 Florence was again the gathering place to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration. The Anniversary was observed to: assess progress made in the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding since 1990; call upon governments, civil society and donors to increase efforts to implement the targets of the Innocenti Declaration and the additional targets established in 2002 within the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding; raise awareness of every child’s right to adequate nutrition, and the corresponding obligations on all sectors of society to ensure that this right is realized. The Innocenti Declaration on Infant and Young Child Feeding captures the renewed commitments made at this historic anniversary meeting and records the additional five operational targets that were identified as part of the ongoing global strategy on Infant and Young Child feeding. The Declaration was endorsed by the Standing Committee on Nutrition on 17 March, 2006 and the Call for Action made in the declaration was welcomed by the World Health Assembly on 27 May, 2006.

In 1990 the Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding set an international agenda with ambitious targets for action. In November 2005 Florence was again the gathering place to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration. The Anniversary was observed to: assess progress made in the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding since 1990; call upon governments, civil society and donors to increase efforts to implement the targets of the Innocenti Declaration and the additional targets established in 2002 within the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding; raise awareness of every child’s right to adequate nutrition, and the corresponding obligations on all sectors of society to ensure that this right is realized. The Innocenti Declaration on Infant and Young Child Feeding captures the renewed commitments made at this historic anniversary meeting and records the additional five operational targets that were identified as part of the ongoing global strategy on Infant and Young Child feeding. The Declaration was endorsed by the Standing Committee on Nutrition on 17 March, 2006 and the Call for Action made in the declaration was welcomed by the World Health Assembly on 27 May, 2006.

In 1990 the Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding set an international agenda with ambitious targets for action. In November 2005 Florence was again the gathering place to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration. The Anniversary was observed to: assess progress made in the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding since 1990; call upon governments, civil society and donors to increase efforts to implement the targets of the Innocenti Declaration and the additional targets established in 2002 within the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding; raise awareness of every child’s right to adequate nutrition, and the corresponding obligations on all sectors of society to ensure that this right is realized. The Innocenti Declaration on Infant and Young Child Feeding captures the renewed commitments made at this historic anniversary meeting and records the additional five operational targets that were identified as part of the ongoing global strategy on Infant and Young Child feeding. The Declaration was endorsed by the Standing Committee on Nutrition on 17 March, 2006 and the Call for Action made in the declaration was welcomed by the World Health Assembly on 27 May, 2006.

За 15 лет, прошедших с момента принятия в 1990 г. Первоначальной Инночентийской декларации, в улучшении питания детей грудного и раннего возраста во всем мире были достигнуты ощутимые успехи. Вместе с тем, неправильная практика вскармливания, не соответствующая оптимальной, или отсутствие грудного вскармливания и неадекватное дополнительное питание остаются самыми значительными угрозами здоровью и выживанию детей во всем мире. Одно лишь улучшение грудного вскармливания может спасти жизни более чем 3500 детей ежедневно, что превышает показатели любых других профилактических мер.

La presente pubblicazione intende dare maggiore visibilità all’allattamento materno e a tutti gli aspetti relativi all’alimentazione neonatale e infantile, in quanto si tratta di fattori essenziali per aumentare il tasso di sopravvivenza, crescita e sviluppo dei bambini, nonché attirare nuovamente l’attenzione di governi e donatori sul tema. Per farlo, ripercorre la serie di azioni, eventi, documenti e pratiche che dalla Dichiarazione degli Innocenti conduce alla Strategia globale per l'alimentazione del neonato e del bambino.