Deadline: 30-Jun-2026
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund is supporting the BRICS Child Futures Forum to advance child-centred development, South-South cooperation, and policy innovation across BRICS countries. The initiative focuses on maternal and child nutrition, digital public infrastructure for child services, climate and urban vulnerability, and inclusive social policy. It aims to generate comparative evidence, policy recommendations, and scalable models to strengthen child wellbeing and human capital development across the Global South.
Overview of the BRICS Child Futures Forum Initiative
The initiative supported by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund is a high-level policy platform under India’s BRICS Chairpersonship. It is designed to place children at the center of development and economic planning across BRICS countries.
The forum strengthens:
- Child-centred development policy
- South-South cooperation
- Evidence-based decision-making
- Digital and social service innovation
- Climate-resilient human capital strategies
It operates within the BRICS Sherpa Track and contributes to ministerial and leaders’ level processes.
Context: Why the Forum Is Needed
Across BRICS countries, major gaps remain in child-focused development systems, including:
- Inequalities in maternal and child nutrition
- Fragmented service delivery systems
- Urban poverty and migrant child vulnerability
- Weak integration of climate risks into child policy
- Unequal access to digital public services
- Lack of harmonized child development indicators
These challenges affect long-term human capital formation and inclusive growth.
Key Focus Areas of the Forum
Social Policy and Child Rights Advocacy
The initiative strengthens policy dialogue on:
- Child wellbeing frameworks
- Social protection systems
- Inequality reduction strategies
- Rights-based development approaches
- Cross-country policy alignment
Maternal Nutrition and the First 1,000 Days
A core focus is early childhood development through:
- Maternal health and nutrition interventions
- Early childhood care systems
- Nutrition-sensitive social protection
- First 1,000 days of life programming
- Life-cycle development approaches
This stage is critical for long-term cognitive and physical development.
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Child Services
The forum explores digital transformation in child services through:
- Digital identity and service delivery systems
- Integrated child welfare platforms
- Data-driven social protection systems
- Lessons from India’s Digital Public Infrastructure models
- Scalable digital governance solutions
Urban Vulnerability and Migration
The initiative addresses challenges faced by:
- Urban poor children
- Migrant and displaced families
- Informal settlement populations
- Access barriers to health and education services
- Protection risks in urban environments
Climate–Nutrition Nexus
The forum links climate change with child wellbeing by focusing on:
- Climate impacts on food security
- Nutrition vulnerabilities during climate shocks
- Disaster resilience for children
- Adaptive social protection systems
- Climate-resilient health and nutrition services
South-South Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing
A key pillar is strengthening collaboration between BRICS countries through:
- Policy exchange and peer learning
- Sharing scalable development models
- Joint research and comparative analysis
- Institutional collaboration among think tanks
- Multilateral coordination mechanisms
Structure and Participation
The forum will bring together:
- Senior government officials from BRICS countries
- Multilateral organizations including United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
- Academic institutions and think tanks
- Development partners
- Policy innovators and implementation leaders
It is positioned within the BRICS Sherpa Track and feeds into ministerial-level discussions.
Expected Outputs and Outcomes
Policy and Knowledge Products
- Annual comparative report on child development across BRICS
- India-focused analytical annex
- Policy briefs and actionable recommendations
- Documentation of scalable best practices
Policy Influence and Integration
- Inputs into BRICS Health, Education, and Women Ministers’ meetings
- Contribution to BRICS Leaders’ declarations
- Integration of child-focused indicators in BRICS frameworks
- Strengthening long-term policy coherence
System and Institutional Impact
- Improved child-focused human capital strategies
- Stronger South-South policy cooperation
- Enhanced digital and social service delivery models
- Better integration of climate and nutrition policies
Implementation Roadmap
Step 1: Endorsement and Alignment
Secure approval under the BRICS Sherpa framework.
Step 2: Technical Design
Finalize themes, structure, and technical working groups with UNICEF and partners.
Step 3: Stakeholder Mapping
Identify governments, experts, and institutions participating in the forum.
Step 4: Knowledge Development
Prepare background papers, comparative data, and policy analysis.
Step 5: Forum Execution
Conduct high-level policy dialogue and technical sessions.
Step 6: Institutionalization
Explore making the forum a recurring annual platform.
Budget Overview
The proposed budget is USD 3,999,999, covering:
- Forum organization and logistics
- Technical coordination and research
- Knowledge production and analytics
- Stakeholder engagement and participation
- Policy development and dissemination activities
Why This Initiative Matters
This initiative is important because it:
- Places children at the center of economic and development planning
- Strengthens cooperation among BRICS countries
- Improves policy coherence across health, education, and social sectors
- Addresses climate and digital transformation challenges
- Builds long-term human capital for future economic resilience
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BRICS Child Futures Forum?
It is a high-level policy platform focused on child-centred development and South-South cooperation across BRICS countries.
Who is supporting the initiative?
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund in collaboration with BRICS member states.
What are the main focus areas?
Nutrition, digital public infrastructure, urban vulnerability, climate impacts, and social policy.
What is its main objective?
To generate evidence-based policies and scalable solutions for improving child wellbeing across BRICS countries.
How does it support policy-making?
Through comparative reports, policy briefs, and integration into BRICS ministerial and leaders’ processes.
What is the budget?
Approximately USD 3.99 million for implementation and coordination.
Conclusion
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund BRICS Child Futures Forum initiative strengthens global child-centred development by building evidence-based policy cooperation across BRICS countries. By integrating nutrition, digital systems, climate resilience, and social protection, it advances long-term human capital development and supports more inclusive and future-ready development strategies across the Global South.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.