UNICEF was established on 11 December 1946 by the United Nations to meet the emergency needs of children in post-war Europe and China.Its full name was the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.n 1950, its mandate was broadened to address the long-term needs of children and women in developing countries everywhere. UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations system in 1953, when its name was shortened to the United Nations Children's Fund. However, UNICEF retained its original acronym.