International Year of the Child

Black text and an illustration of a person holding a ring on a yellow background

In 1979, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared that year the International Year of the Child. The declaration was intended to bring attention to issues that affect children worldwide, like access to education, food, and healthcare. Over 150 countries participated in promoting the needs of the world's 1.5 billion children. Many created special programs for underprivileged children, held seminars to bring awareness and wrote their own declarations. On January 9th, a benefit concert was held in the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York. Performers included the Bee Gees, Earth, Wind & Fire, ABBA, and Donna Sommer. The concert was aired as a television special, Music for UNICEF Concert: A Gift of Song.