Civil Society Guide to Working with UNICEF

This guide was created to strengthen partnerships and build new forms of collaboration for realising the rights of children. It is intended for civil society organisations (CSOs) that have an interest in working with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), either formally or informally, to achieve results for children. The guide provides key information that a CSO needs in order to consider, initiate, engage in, and undertake a partnership or other form of collaborative relationship with UNICEF. This guide was developed by the UNICEF Office of Civil Society Partnerships.

The guide is organised into six sections, with additional information provided in the annexes:

• Section 1 describes how CSOs partner with UNICEF to address a range of child rights issues.
• Section 2 discusses some of the added benefits of working together in partnership, including what a CSO can expect UNICEF to contribute.
• Section 3 delves into the formal frameworks that UNICEF uses to partner with CSOs, as well as informal partnerships and partnership principles.
• Section 4 provides an overview of UN country programming to highlight potential points of entry for partnerships at country level. This framework for understanding UNICEF as a decentralised organisation is designed to be helpful for CSOs that then enter into formal partnership with UNICEF.
• Section 5 lays out the framework.
• Section 6 highlights additional opportunities for CSOs to partner and engage with UNICEF, including through the UNICEF National Committees and global advocacy networks, in humanitarian response at the global level and in research and knowledge sharing.