Our mandate

UNICEF is dedicated to reaching the most vulnerable children and women, wherever they may be, and bringing them hope and opportunity.

Laughing children

UNICEF has the mandate to safeguard the rights of all children in China. That mandate is rooted in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which sets out universal and indivisible rights that apply to every child, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2015, which apply to every country.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child

Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has changed the way children are viewed and treated, i.e., as human beings with a distinct set of rights instead of passive recipients of charity. It recognizes that childhood is a vulnerable time and that children need special care and protection.

The CRC has four fundamental principles that apply to every child.

  • Non-discrimination (Article 2)
  • The best interests of the child (Article 3)
  • Life, survival and development (Article 6)
  • Respect for the views of the child (Article 12)

Learn more about the Convention of the Rights of the Child

Convention on the Rights of the Child
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The UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 broad goals - around challenges like poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice - and 169 individual targets within them, to be achieved by 2030.

Child-related SDGs in China

UNICEF is working with the Government of China to achieve 11 child-related SDGs.

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health and Well-being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
10. Reduced Inequalities
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
13. Climate Action
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships for the Goals

Learn more about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

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