Universal Child Benefits (UCBs): A foundation to end child poverty

Although children represent a third of the world’s population, they make up half of the world’s extreme poor (surviving on less than $1.90 per day). Just 35% of children globally receive any form of government child or family benefit, falling to as low as 28% in the Asia and Pacific region and 13% in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet we know that investments in children from an early age are not only necessary to prevent poverty and deprivation, but also help countries avoid the considerable associated economic and social costs to society later on. Protecting children from deprivations such as malnutrition yields substantial returns on investment by improving a country’s level of human capital. Moreover, the right of every child to basic income security is rooted in international human rights agreements. The realisation of this right is a core target for achieving the very first of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – “Ending Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere”.