Policy, Advocacy and Partnerships

UNICEF works to draw attention to children's rights.

"Advocacy" means to speak up on behalf of someone in need. For UNICEF it means speaking up on behalf of the world’s children in order to secure, protect and advance their rights.

UNICEF works with governments, law-makers, the media, international organisations and civil society to ensure that the fulfilment of children’s rights is at the centre of global and national policy debates.

UNICEF's work is guided by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a universally agreed set of standards which sets out the right of every child to reach their full potential.

UNICEF examines national and international policies to make sure that they are in line with the CRC, so that children's rights everywhere can be realised. Analysis of economic, social and legal policies also helps UNICEF have a greater understanding of the factors that affect the wellbeing of children around the world.

Click here to read about UNICEF Australia's campaigns and initiatives.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child:

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is an international human rights treaty that sets out the basic rights of children and the obligations of governments to fulfill those rights.

This ground-breaking treaty was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989 and within a year it entered into force as international law. The CRC expanded the world's legal boundaries, for the first time establishing children's basic needs as rights.

Australia signed the CRC in 1990. The CRC has been ratified by 191 out of 193 countries, all except the USA and Somalia. This makes it the most widely and rapidly accepted human rights convention in history.

The CRC is the foundation of UNICEF’s work and sets out rights for the survival, development, protection and participation of children.