United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was established in 1946 with the goal to help disadvantaged children and adolescents. Over 75 years later, the mission of UNICEF has not changed. This committee concerns itself with the health and safety of adolescents, particularly those in regions of emergency and humanitarian crisis. UNICEF remains the largest provider of vaccines and supports adolescent health, nutrition, sanitation, and education among other crucial aims. This year, delegates will focus on two key facets of UNICEF: access to nutrition and access to vaccination. In committee, delegates will collaborate to address these topics before, during and after humanitarian crises.

Topic A: Childhood Immunizations
Despite the proven efficacy of vaccines, over 14.3 million children remain unvaccinated against disease. These “zero-dose children” account for over half of the deaths from vaccine-treatable illnesses. The vast majority of unvaccinated children reside in three areas: urban cities, rural areas, and conflict zones. During committee sessions, delegates will work together to improve vaccination rates in the wake of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, global conflict, and the spread of misinformation surrounding vaccines.

Topic B: Childhood Nutrition
UNICEF’s nutrition programs span over 130 countries and have significantly reduced the number of children suffering from malnutrition. However, there is still much more work to be done to improve adolescent nutritional health. Approximately one in three children suffers from inadequate nutrition, which can be observed in a variety of forms such as stunting, wasting, hidden hunger, and obesity. These factors inhibit children from being able to thrive by weakening immune systems and cognitive ability. Delegates should work towards reducing nutritional deficiencies through intervention, education, and most importantly, international collaboration.