Ann M. Veneman became UNICEF's fifth Executive Director on May 1, 2005. Appointed by the United Nations Secretary General, Veneman works on behalf of the United Nations to help children around the world survive and thrive by advocating for and protecting their rights. UNICEF's mission is accomplished by 11,000 staff in 150 countries with annual program resources of $3 billion. The agency works to advance the Millennium Development Goals by supporting child health and nutrition, quality basic education for all, access to clean water and sanitation and the protection of children from violence, exploitation and HIV/AIDS. Since becoming Executive Director, Veneman has traveled to more than sixty countries to review the plight of children and UNICEF's work to assist them. She has witnessed progress being made but also seen the devastation caused by natural disaster, conflict, disease and exploitation. Prior to joining UNICEF, Veneman held government positions in the United States, including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. In 2009, Veneman was named to the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women list, ranking 46th. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Davis; a master’s degree in public policy at the University of California, Berkeley; and a juris doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Blog Entries by Ann M. Veneman

Five Major Child Advocates: Children's Rights Are Everybody's Responsibility

1 Comments | Posted November 20, 2009 | 02:11 PM (EST)


On the anniversary of twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child -- the most ratified human rights treaty in human history -- the leaders of five major organizations focusing on children make a joint plea to put children's best interests at the heart of human...

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Future Generations in Jeopardy Unless Urgent Efforts are Made to Tackle Malnutrition

Posted November 16, 2009 | 03:07 PM (EST)


Today, nearly 200 million children under the age of five who live in the developing world suffer from stunted growth as a result of chronic maternal and childhood undernutrition.

Undernutrition steals a child's strength and makes illnesses that the body might otherwise fight off far more dangerous. But far more...

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Mali: A Country Confronting Issues of International Concern

2 Comments | Posted November 14, 2009 | 01:05 PM (EST)


This past week I returned from a three day trip to Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa and one of the poorest in the world, with over half the population living under the poverty line. While there, I met with President Amadou Toumani Toure and other officials to discuss...

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World Food Day: More than One Billion People Suffering from Hunger

1 Comments | Posted October 15, 2009 | 02:54 PM (EST)


On this World Food Day more than one billion people are suffering from malnutrition and hunger, an increase of 100 million in just over a year. Consensus, international leadership and urgent action are needed to help end this global travesty.

At the recent G8 summit in Italy...

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The Philippines: Destruction, Heartbreak and a Plea for Help

1 Comments | Posted October 10, 2009 | 03:45 PM (EST)


A series of tropical storms that have recently battered the Philippines continue, just yesterday causing additional flooding and mudslides. Earlier this week I returned from a trip to the country, seeing first-hand some of the extensive damage and visiting with victims and relief workers.

The amount of rain that...

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DRC Chronicles: Being Shunned by Rape

Posted September 24, 2009 | 01:33 PM (EST)


During my recent visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), I visited the Panzi Hospital, a UNICEF supported facility which specializes in treating victims of sexual violence. I was met there by Dr. Denis Mukwege, the founder and director of the facility.

While touring...

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Lost Innocence and Hope Amid a Senseless War

4 Comments | Posted September 16, 2009 | 10:39 PM (EST)


During a 2006 trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country ravaged by more than a decade of war, disease and hunger, I met a 12-year-old girl who told me her story of being brutally attacked and raped by four men. When I met her then you could...

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A Treasure Chest of Hope for Children Impacted by Disasters and War

Posted August 5, 2009 | 09:50 AM (EST)


Last March on a visit to Gaza after the region was devastated by constant bombing and conflict, I toured a relief center where young children were encouraged to express their feelings through art. It is often said that a picture can speak a thousand words. But what I saw there...

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A Treasure Chest of Hope for Children Impacted by Disasters and War

3 Comments | Posted August 5, 2009 | 09:50 AM (EST)


Last March on a visit to Gaza after the region was devastated by constant bombing and conflict, I toured a relief center where young children were encouraged to express their feelings through art. It is often said that a picture can speak a thousand words. But what I saw there...

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Leading the Way to Make Mothers Day Every Day

7 Comments | Posted May 1, 2009 | 04:25 PM (EST)


Progress is being made to save the lives of mothers and newborns around the world. Still, every minute, a woman dies of complications in pregnancy and childbirth, leaving her baby more likely to die within two years. Most of these deaths could be prevented. Join The Huffington Post and the...

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