UNICEF

Type:	Organization
Industry:	Public Services/Policy Dev't.
Founded:	1946
Founder(s):	United Nations
Headquarters:	UNHQ New York
Country:	USA
Website:	www.unicef.org
Facebook:	UNICEF
Twitter:	@UNICEF
Key People
Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director

UNICEF (United Nations Children Fund) is an international children's charitable organization and a member of the United Nations Development Group Executive Committee. Its mandate is to lead the advocacy efforts to protect children's rights worldwide, to help provide for basic needs and increase their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF supports and promotes the Convention on the Rights of the Child in more than 190 countries and territories through country programmes and National Committees. The organization carries out its mission by accepting donations and creating partnerships with government and private entities. In 2010, UNICEF reported more than $3.6 billion of income and spent around $3.4 billion on numerous programs, and $276 million on program support, administration and security. Almost 50% of its program expenditures serve the disadvantaged children of sub-Saharan Africa and, while 25% goes to Asia. The least developed countries with humanitarian needs and suffering from high child mortality rates are the primary beneficiaries of UNICEF program funds, and include such countries as The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Pakistan and Sudan.

Application for .unicef gTLD

In 2010, UNICEF announced its interest to apply for the .unicef Brand TLD and issued a Request For Information (RFI) from parties interested in partnering to manage the administrative and technical operations of the .unicef domain name space in behalf of the organization under a two years contract. The organization believed that operating its brand gTLD will be beneficial to reflect its work as an organization.

The organization did not apply for .unicef in the 2012 new gTLD expansion round.

Background

The United Nations General Assembly established the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on December 11, 1946 to provide immediate food and health care services to children and adolescents in countries devastated during World War II without discrimination due to race, creed, nationality, status or political belief. Maurice Pate was appointed as the first Executive Director of the organization. The organizations mandate was broadened by the General Assembly to meet the emergency, long-term and the continuing needs of children particularly those who are located in underdeveloped countries on December 1, 1950. UNICEF became a permanent agency of the United Nations on October 6, 1956 and it official name was changed to United Nations Children's Fund. At present, UNICEF has more than 10,000 staffs and programs of cooperation with 157 governments and territories worldwide. Its is currently guided by the 2006 to 2013 Extended Medium-term Strategic Plan and it is headed by its Executive Director Anthony Lake.