World Children's Day 2024

UNICEF USA engaged national and municipal partners around the promotion and understanding of child rights in the lead up to and on World Children's Day 2024. 

Alongside its partners, UNICEF USA officially launched the Child Rights in Sports Alliance with a joint press release and hosted a roundtable session with FIFA World Cup 2026^(TM)  host cities at the National League of Cities' Centennial Annual Cities Summit in Tampa, Florida. The roundtable session was an opportunity for UNICEF USA and its Alliance partners to understand the needs of municipalities in relation to the World Cup, and engage cities in preliminary discussions and planning around ensuring children and families are better off from their cities having hosted such an event.

National Youth Council Member, Samiaht, joined the Bezos Foundation Chief of Staff in a panel at the opening session of their youth delegates program. She presented on UNICEF USA’s National Harris Poll results on youth civic engagement.

In addition, UNICEF USA collaborated with several local governments in celebration of the World Children’s Day at local level:

• In SALEM, Massachusetts, Salem State University hosted an event to explore how Salem could become a UNICEF-recognized Child Friendly City.
• In DENVER, Colorado, UNICEF USA's Municipal Partnerships team facilitated a Child Rights Education workshop with the Denver Office of Children’s Affairs staff and partners, attended by 18 city leaders.
• The city of HOUSTON, Texas, launched the second edition of their Youth Mental Health Guide, available now in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
• In BOULDER, Colorado, Growing Up Boulder posted on social media, connecting the annual Colorado Gives Day to honoring World Children’s Day, with support empowering children to shape the community they deserve.
• CLEVELAND, Ohio, lit up its City Hall with cyan blue in honor of World Children's Day.

The 2024 edition of the Go Blue campaign has been joined by over 340 cities, and numerous landmarks and monuments have turned blue.

The initiative has been enhanced this year with the addition of an online map that showcases photos submitted by various cities: https://www.unicef.it/goblue

The Go Blue campaign has been promoted in collaboration with the ANCI (National Association of Municipalities), the historical partner of CFCI. Municipalities have supported the campaign by sharing the news through their social media and websites, disseminating CRC among municipal officials and citizens, and organizing many activities with children.

The campaign was widely reported in the media. 

As with previous years, the UK candidate and recognised Child Friendly Cities & Communities used the day as an opportunity to promote and celebrate children’s rights. This year, highlights included:

The London Borough of Redbridge hosted events and activities throughout the week, encouraging council members and partners to reflect how best to embed a child rights-based approach in their work and across their services: the Eco Skills Festival was attended with 63 children from 11 different schools across the borough. Local primary school pupils shared their ‘Contribution to the Community’ initiative. The council worked with children from another local primary school to ensure their voices were included in a strategy being put together to address Violence Against Women & Girls.

Nottingham launched their Child Friendly Nottingham children and young people’s survey. The event at Nottingham’s Council House created fun and interactive activities (on the theme ‘Your Voice Matters – Get It Heard’). Children took part in website design, voting exercises, designing their own Nottingham children’s magazine, and working with sports clubs.

Liverpool facilitated a special session of the School’s Parliament initiative; children delivered presentations about their rights. Young people took part in a ‘takeover’ of the council’s social media channels, providing a platform for children to share their perspectives and priorities.

Cardiff Council published a new report reflecting on its achievements as the first UNICEF Child Friendly City in the UK, and sharing plans to continue its commitment to children and young people.

Sandwell organised activities for children and young people to learn more about careers in local government, democratic values, how the council allocates and manages its budget and share ideas to help build a thriving local community. The council hosted a special youth session, where youths had the chance to step into the shoes of decision-makers, debate local issues and present innovative ideas for the community’s growth and wellbeing. 

A certification award ceremony took place at St. Lambrecht, Styria. 31 municipalities from the “Murau Murtal” region received their “Child Friendly Community” recognition, acknowledging their commitment to and active engagement in advancing child rights. This recognition makes the region “Murau Murtal” the largest child-friendly region in Austria to hold this certificate.

UNICEF Austria held a press conference “Listen to the Future” to present the State of the World's Children report, together with the mayor of the Child-Friendly Community of Bad Erlach. The press conference received positive media coverage.

The Child Friendly Community of Bad Vöslau, in collaboration with local schools, organized a children's rights exhibition. Many children and young people from the community contributed to the exhibition. Through this project, approximately 500 children and young people, aged 6 to 18, expressed their concerns through drawings, songs, theater performances, and participation projects.

In addition, UNICEF Austria sent out a special newsletter, including information about the World Children's Day with a special focus on climate change and encouraging schools and municipalities to participate in activities.

Over 3,200 schools and kindergartens from across Poland observed the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and will continue to hold classes on children's rights throughout the remainder of the year.

In towns and cities across Poland, "Blue Marches" were hold by youth and their guardians, where children advocated for their rights. Approximately 300,000 children participated in these events and gained valuable knowledge about their rights. For instance, in Olsztyn, Bolesławiec, and other larger and smaller cities, children took part in quizzes and knowledge tests about their rights and attended conferences on the subject. In Torun, kindergarten children had the opportunity to meet with lawyers and learn more about their rights.

CFCI cities organized activities for children, facilitating meetings between young citizens and local authorities. The city of Bolesławiec created a special urban game focused on children's rights, which proved particularly popular among younger participants. Buildings, bridges, and other landmarks across twelve cities in Poland were by local authorities illuminated in blue. In Poznan, the capital of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, landmarks such as the City Hall, the MTP Spire, and the Imperial Castle were lighted up by their authorities. In Gdynia, one of the Tri-City cities in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, the Emigration Museum also illuminated its facilities in a distinctive cyan blue, symbolizing the global effort for children's rights.