PURPOSE: The Universal Children’s Day is celebrated annually on November 20th. Its goal is to improve child welfare worldwide, promote and celebrate children’s rights and promote togetherness and awareness amongst all children. Initially launched in 1954, Universal Children’s day has seen some milestone events in the field of child welfare. The day is an occasion to mark the anniversary of the dates when the United Nations General assembly adopted both the Declaration of the rights of the child and the convention of children’s rights. The OHCHR through the convention sets out a number of children’s rights such as the rights to be protected from violence and discrimination and the rights to life, health and education. UNICEF has helped save and meaningfully improve more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization. Other organizations help children, but UNICEF does more by fighting for children’s rights and delivering the essentials every child needs for an equitable chance in life. UNICEF won’t stop until every child is healthy, educated, protected and respected. That is why the General assembly charged the UNICEF to supervize the global celebration worldwide.

FORUM: "My day; My rights." World Children's Day 2025. From the moment the sun rises, children wake up to a world shaped by choices they didn't make. But every child, everywhere, also wakes with rights. Including the right to be protected, to learn, and to have their voice heard. It’s time to listen to children. To understand what their lives are like and how their rights are present, missing, or pursued every day. Children’s rights are non-negotiable and universal. But in too many places today children’s rights are being misunderstood, disregarded or even denied and attacked. A better future For Every Child is possible, and children are leading the way. By championing their right to be heard, we can better fulfill the rights of every child, everywhere. Children’s rights are human rights and today, children’s rights are under attack. On this Day we will making space for children and young people to raise their voices on the issues that matter to them and will thanking every person doing everything in their power to protect children and their rights, even in the most impossible situations. By prioritizing children's rights and participation, we can help to build a better future for all. For Every Child, we wish hope. Let’s amplify children’s voices and stand up for the rights of every child. How are you living child rights every day? If you had the whole world's attention, what would you tell them about your days and rights?; Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WorldChildrensday, #20November; #ForEveryChild, #EveryRight.

EVENTS: 36th anniversary of the entry in force of the Convention on the rights of the child.

On November 20th; The United Nations General Assembly, The UNICEF, the OHCHR and several specialized agencies will host several events to mark The World Children’s Day 2025 to promote action for children with several activities held by children. This year mark 36 Years since the adoption of the CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child). Around the world, children are standing up and talking about their lives, their hopes, and their rights. Register to participate!

On November 20th, an event entitled ''Kids take over.'' will be held; Children will ‘take over’ high-visibility roles in media, politics, business, sport and entertainment normally held by adults to shine a spotlight on issues that matter to them.

On November 20th, an Illumination ''Turn the world blue.'' will be held. From children and young people taking over to famous landmarks turning blue, here’s a taste of what to expect on the day. Landmark buildings around the world will light up blue on the day to show support for child rights. Wear something blue, change your profile picture online and help raise awareness. 

With World Children’s Day approaching, actors from the private sector are encouraged to share activities they can implement. Explore what’s happening around the world!

PUBLICATIONS: Explore resources for parents and teachers on child rights.

The State of the World’s Children 2025 - Ending child poverty: Our shared imperative. Far too many children live in poverty, deprived of financial resources and essentials like schooling and sanitation. But child poverty is not inevitable. Countries have shown what is possible when they prioritize children. What we need now is commitment to implement proven strategies, to innovate as crises converge, and to keep an unwavering focus on the rights of every child. Read the full report

Progress on Children’s Well-being: Centring child rights in the 2030 Agenda - The UNICEF examined available data on the 48 child-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators which the agency regularly monitors. Organized around five domains of child well-being. These indicators capture the breadth of children’s lived experiences. When viewed together – rather than as individual sectors – they provide a rich, nuanced picture of children’s lives that tell us which children are thriving and which children are being left behind. Read the report!

Progress on Children’s Well-being: Country Briefs - These country briefs leverage UNICEF’s extensive analysis of 48 child-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators. A benchmarking exercise compares countries against global standards, income groupings, and geographical areas, offering a systematic framework to monitor and compare progress across various child-related SDG indicators. Current country performance is assessed and the necessary rate of to achieve 2030 targets is calculated. Read the report!

9 Facts about Children on the Move - How many children are on the move today? What are their countries of origin, countries of destination and their primary migration routes? How many of them have been forcibly displaced? This brochure – a product of the International Data Alliance for Children on the MOVE (IDAC) – answers these questions and more. Using the latest available data, it shares a critical set of data visualizations, succinct analyses and top-line messages about migrant and displaced children today. Read the report!

International Classification of Violence against Children (ICVAC) - ICVAC includes operational definitions of all forms of violence against children and covers interpersonal and collective violence, both in times of peace and during internal or international armed conflict. The classification will provide countries with a tool to capture and categorize incidents of violence and consequently assess the extent to which their national definitions and data collection efforts comply with internationally-agreed standards. Read the report!

STATEMENTS: Read the statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on World Children’s Day 2025; November 20th and the Statement of the UNICEF Executive-Director on World Children’s Day 2025; November 20th.