Date Published: 24 June 2009

UNICEF UK launches campaign on children's rights

UNICEF UK is launching a major campaign to highlight the importance of children's rights and to encourage supporters to show their commitment to seeing these rights upheld.

This campaign puts children's rights at the heart of UNICEF UK's campaigning and fundraising work. The press adverts, inserts and online campaign feature an overarching creative theme: 'Promise me'.

The material focuses specifically on the plight of the millions of children who are forced to live and work on the street. Press adverts, for example, feature a range of headlines such as: 'Promise me I won't be sold for sex' or 'Promise me we won't be forced to work 20 hours a day'. Each finishes with the UNICEF pledge: 'We promise. Will you?'

"Right now, the widespread denial of children's fundamental rights is being worsened by the impact of the economic crisis, the effects of climate change and the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS," UNICEF UK Executive Director David Bull commented. "The result is that millions of children are at risk, struggling to survive on a daily basis without access to food, water, an education, or a safe place to live.

The governments of the world have made a promise to fulfil these rights and UNICEF is committed do everything it can to ensure that happens," he continued. "This new campaign highlights this commitment and encourages the public to join us by making their own promise to the world's children."

The campaign reflects UNICEF's role as champion of the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by world Governments in 1989 and has its 20th Anniversary later this year.

Several of UNICEF UK's Ambassadors, including Ralph Fiennes and Martin Bell, are supporting the campaign with personal messages, which are available on the UNICEF UK website, Facebook and YouTube.

The online campaign starts on 25 June and the press adverts and inserts will start on 1 July. Inserts will run in titles including The Guardian, Radio Times and Sunday Times magazine while press ads will appear in the Telegraph, Independent, Guardian and Times. It will run until the end of July.

About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

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