UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children. 

UNICEF was created in 1946 after the Second World War by the United Nations to provide food, clothing and health care to European children. UNICEF Lebanon was established shortly after, in 1948. The office was the first field operation office outside UNICEF’s headquarters. 

In Lebanon, UNICEF was the only UN agency working during the many years of the civil war, providing key assistance in health, water and sanitation as well as demining in many parts of the devastated country.

One of the key challenges facing the children of Lebanon today is that many years after reconstruction from conflict, they continue to live in the shadow of internal political instability. UNICEF Lebanon is committed to ensuring that all its activities address the impact of this situation on children.