The Sustainable Development Goals commit the global community to end all forms of violence against children. The futures of one billion boys and girls hang in the balance. 

There is opportunity, and necessity, to accelerate; to deliver a transformative shift on child protection. The first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children represents an historic moment; to re-imagine a world where all children are safe in their homes, schools, communities and online and make commitments commensurate with the global child protection challenge.

Every first Thursday of November marks the International day against violence and bullying at school which highlights global efforts to combat school violence and cyberbullying.

What do you do every day to take care of your mental health?

In the words of Orlando Bloom, United Children's Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador, "Sometimes it just takes a walk". 

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. A new variant of the virus is spreading, putting children at risk.

“Shootings, that’s why I left. Rapes. All that. I could not stay [back home]” – Solona, 14

Armed groups in Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite region are terrorizing entire communities. As streets, schools and playgrounds have been turned into battlefields, many have had no choice but to leave everything behind. Thousands are now stranded in makeshift displacement sites. Struggling to access electricity, food, water, and adequate sanitation. Entire families are sleeping outside on the ground, at the mercy of torrential rains and disease-carrying insects. Children unable to go to school.

Violence in Haiti has reached shocking levels. UNICEF continues to call for an end to the violence.

Learn about some of the most important newborn health warning signs. For more expert tips visit UNICEF Parenting.

The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip is making health care especially difficult for pregnant women and children. The high cost of living makes essentials like baby clothes unaffordable. At 20$ for one piece of baby clothes, these are usually not affordable for the most vulnerable families, who were often displaced 4 or 5 times, carrying only what they had on their backs. UNICEF, with partners, is making a significant difference in these communities by distributing 1,000 baby clothing kits and essential supplies, providing a lifeline of crucial assistance.

Amid the arid landscapes of Zinder, a migration-prone area in central-eastern Niger, 11-year-old Zara's journey back home sheds light on the battle against child trafficking. Zara was sent to Algeria by her mother to find work but was intercepted during the journey. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than half of the child victims reported the involvement of friends and family in their recruitment into trafficking, especially where extreme poverty is common. The Centre for Victims of Trafficking, managed by the National Agency for the Fight against Trafficking in Persons and Illicit Migration with support from IOM, has become a sanctuary for survivors like Zara.

On average, one Palestinian child was killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, every two days since October 2023, a nearly three-and-a-half-fold increase from the previous nine months.

Globally, one in three victims of human trafficking is a child, and the majority of these trafficked children are girls. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), children are twice as likely as adults to face violence during trafficking. The proliferation of online platforms poses additional risks, as children often connect to these sites without adequate safeguards. The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (30 July) calls on States to prioritize the protection of children, strengthen laws, improve law enforcement and provide more resources to combat child trafficking. 

Global childhood immunization coverage stalled in 2023, leaving 2.7 million additional children un- and under-vaccinated compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. The latest WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage – which provide the world’s largest and most comprehensive dataset on immunization trends for vaccinations against 14 diseases – underscore the need for ongoing catch-up, recovery and system-strengthening efforts. More than half of unvaccinated children live in the 31 countries with fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings, where children are especially vulnerable to preventable diseases.

Climate change is raising global temperatures and causing historic heat waves. More countries are facing hotter days more frequently, with more intensity and for longer periods. The heat stress caused by exposure to heat waves can negatively affect health and well-being, especially for infants and young children. As heat waves become more frequent and last longer, the need for urgent action grows stronger. Preparedness can protect vulnerable populations, especially children. UNICEF encourages governments and partners to join the Children’s Environmental Health Collaborative.

UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom reflects on the greatest joy of his life: being a parent.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are susceptible to extreme weather events, rising seas and temperatures, coastal erosion and biodiversity loss – all caused or exacerbated by climate change. Children and young people living in the SIDS are especially vulnerable: a degraded environment affects them physically and psychologically. This is why youth action to protect SIDS is so important. On the eve of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) in Antigua and Barbuda, children and young people representing 35 of the 57 Small Island Developing States gathered at the Children and Youth Action Summit – to ensure that their voices are heard at this once-in-a-decade global event. Pictured: Children play by the sea on reclaimed land in Tuvalu.

UNESCO, OECD, and the Commonwealth Secretariat's inaugural global report aims to quantify the economic ramifications of widespread educational exclusion among children and youth globally.