Team Insight

U-Report: Empowering and connecting young people around the world to engage with and speak out on issues that matter to them

Sep 17 , 2019

U-Report is a social platform created by UNICEF, available via SMS, Facebook and Twitter where young people express their opinion and be positive agent of change in their communities.

Today’s evolving political, economic and social challenges make it increasingly difficult to implement structural reforms.

Policymaking must therefore go beyond prescriptive statements regarding the future of children and youth by engaging directly with young people on the issues and services that directly affect them.

That means establishing innovative partnerships among UNICEF, governments and the private sector that facilitate access to various data and contribute the skills needed to interpret massive data sets. Given the emergence of new infectious diseases, health partners in particular will need to work across sectors to effectively use and apply health data to save and improve lives. We also know that including the voices of affected people is critical to designing effective and predictive responses.

U-Report is a messaging tool that empowers young people around the world to engage with and speak out on issues that matter to them.

It works by gathering opinions and information from young people on topics they care about – ranging from employment to discrimination and child marriage. U-Reporters respond to polls, report issues and support child rights. The data and insights are shared back with communities and connected to policy makers who make decisions that affect young people.

U-Report is now active in 53 countries, benefiting more than 6 million users and the 4.7 million immediate community members they share information with. Country U-Reports are run by UNICEF and partners on the ground, including local government, non-governmental organizations and young people themselves. U-Report is available via numerous messaging, social media and SMS channels, and even works on a basic mobile phone. It is free, anonymous and easy to use.

The U-Report Dossier explains the issues U-Report addresses, its alignment with UNICEF’s programme priorities, and the strategy and pathway to scale.

For more information on U-REPORT at scale please visit this link.