Nepal elected as UNICEF’s executive board member for 2016-2018

Nepal on 9 January 2016 was elected to the UNICEF executive board, representing the group of Asia-Pacific countries for the term 2016-2018.

Nepal's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Durga Prasad Bhattarai, was also unanimously elected vice-president to the Bureau of the Executive Board of the UNICEF for 2016.

Nepal recently completed its terms as a member of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for 2013-2015 and as vice-president from Asia-Pacific region at the executive board of United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund/United Nations Office for Project Services for the year 2015.

Nepal had contributed to the UNICEF by remaining in the executive board in different times including 1982 to 1985, 1992 to 1995 and 2002 to 2004.

About United Nations Children's Fund

• The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is a United Nations program that provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries.

• It is one of the members of the United Nations Development Group and its Executive Committee.

• UNICEF was created by the United Nations General Assembly on 11 December 1946 to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II.

• Maurice Pate, American humanitarian and businessman, co-founded the United Nations Children's Fund with Herbert Hoover in 1947.

• In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations System and its name was shortened from the original United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. However, it has continued to be known by the popular acronym based on this previous title.

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