TCMUN
UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was created in 1946 in response to famine and disease affecting children in Europe. The goal of UNICEF, at that time, was to provide these children with food, health care, and clothing. In 1953, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) extended the mandate of UNICEF indefinitely, establishing UNICEF as a permanent fixture of the UN. The committee’s early projects included campaigns to combat and eliminate the treatable mass diseases of the time like tuberculosis, yaws, and leprosy. After the UNGA passed the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, UNICEF had an official UN document around which to frame its goals. In 1961, UNICEF expanded its goals beyond improving children’s health and nutrition to also include education. Around this time, the committee also developed its modern theory on aid, which promotes a holistic approach to addressing the needs of children.
Chairs
Topic 1:
Housing Insecurity for Children
According to WomenAid International, around 100 million children live on the streets worldwide. In these situations, children are extremely vulnerable. 250,000 children die every week from malnutrition and unsanitary conditions, and 2 million children are subject to sexual abuse. Even when children are not homeless, they may experience housing insecurity, sometimes called “hidden homelessness.” In these situations, families may constantly move between temporary, overcrowded places. Housing insecurity is still very harmful to a child’s growth. Clearly, homelessness and housing insecurity are a severe threat to children. They cannot receive a good education, and they often must live with lifelong trauma. Therefore, these issues are among the most important issues on UNICEF’s agenda. To achieve its mission, UNICEF relies on the resources of the UN and its partners to develop policies to prevent separation and protect children. In this debate, delegates must create a unified framework that will put a stable roof over every child’s head.
Topic 2:
Literacy Education for Children
UNICEF’s mission is to protect children’s rights, meet their needs, and allow them to grow into their full potential. However, child illiteracy is one of the many problems that interfere with this mission. Universal child literacy has long been a global goal because of the dramatic impact of literacy on individual and national growth. Although great progress has been made, truly universal literacy has been difficult to achieve. Strategies must be developed at the individual level because no two non-readers are the same. Some non-readers do not read simply because of a lack of interest, while other non-readers are unable to read because of physical, mental, or emotional factors. Furthermore, under-resourced families often cannot afford quality reading material for their children. Delegates will have the chance to pursue a bright future for every child by exploring case studies, publishing industry innovations, and designing effective policy. The work of this committee will fulfill the UN’s promise that every child can enjoy a bedtime story with a loved one.