On June 28, UNICEF launched their flagship report, The State of the World’s Children 2016: A fair chance for every child. The report argues that progress for the most disadvantaged children is the defining condition for delivering on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Unless the world tackles inequity today, by 2030:
- Over 165 million children will live on no more than US$1.90 a day, nine out of 10 of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Almost 70 million children under the age of 5 will die of largely preventable causes.
- 750 million women will have been married as children, perpetuating inter-generational cycles of disadvantage.
We have a clear choice to make: Invest in accelerated progress for the children being left behind, or face the consequences of a far more divided and unfair world by 2030.
Inequity is not inevitable. Better information on the most vulnerable children; integrated solutions to the challenges they face; innovative ways to address old problems; more equitable investment; and increased involvement by communities – all these measures can help level the playing field for children.
UNICEF is urging every country to develop a concrete, time-bound plan for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals that focuses on reaching the most disadvantaged children first. An equity approach – one that invests in the most disadvantaged children – is the best way to offer a fair chance for every child.
” Inequity is not inevitable. Inequality is a choice. Promoting equity – a fair chance for every child, for all children – is also a choice. A choice we can make, and must make. For their future, and the future of our world.” Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF
Download the full report: www.unicef.org/SOWC2016
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