P
rince
of
A
sturias
A
wards
1981-2014. S
peeches
5
When unicef began in 1946 in the aftermath of World War II it worked primarily in Europe and
Japan to deliver emergency assistance to children in need.
Over the years, the reach of unicef’s work has expanded to include the millions of children
around the world —from Africa to Latin America— whose lives are affected by poverty, conflict
and emergencies.
unicef evolved over the past sixty years from its emergency beginnings to become an
organization dedicated to enhancing the well-being of children in both emergency and non-
emergency situations.
The organization continues to work tirelessly to protect children from harm and disease... and
to provide them with nutrition and the opportunity to learn and lead productive lives.
Children are a significant part of the world’s hungry, the ill-fed, the poorly-clothed, the
homeless, the illiterate, the exploited and the displaced. In fact, children are at the very heart
of the Millennium Development Goals, from eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, to
achieving universal primary education and gender equality, to reducing child and maternal
mortality, and combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases, to ensuring environmental sustainability
and developing a global partnership for development.
In taking stock of the past 60 years, great strides have been made not only for the children in
Europe and parts of Asia but also for millions of children in the developing world. The world has
seen more gains against poverty and more progress for children in the last 60 years than in the
previous 500. Between 1960 and 2004, the under-five mortality rates in developing countries on
average decreased from 222 deaths per 1,000 live births to 87 deaths per 1,000 live births. In the
1980s the average rate of child immunization in most developing countries was between 10 and
20 per cent. Today, immunization with routine vaccines has reached more than 70 per cent of
children worldwide.
The world is now free of smallpox, the first major human disease to be eradicated. Where polio
was once epidemic, extraordinary progress has been made and today some 175 countries are polio
free. An estimated 1 billion more people have access to safe water today than in 1990. And more
children are in school today than ever before. But much remains to be done.
Ann M. Veneman,
on behalf of
unicef
—
Prince of Asturias Award
for Concord
2006
In 2006, Ann M. Veneman was
Executive Director of
unicef
.
—
Excerpt from the speech given on
the occasion of receiving the Prince
of Asturias Award for Concord on
20/10/2006.
