Save the Children International

Save the Children International
Name	Save the Children International
Formation	1919
Founder	Eglantyne Jebb; Dorothy Buxton
Headquarters	London
Type	International non-governmental organization
Region served	Global
Leader title	Chief Executive Officer

Save the Children International is an international non-governmental humanitarian organization focused on promoting children's rights, providing relief, and expanding opportunities for children in developing and crisis-affected countries. Founded by Eglantyne Jebb and Dorothy Buxton in the aftermath of World War I, the organization has evolved into a global confederation coordinating national members and regional offices across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. Its operations intersect with a range of multilateral institutions and humanitarian actors responding to armed conflicts, natural disasters, public health emergencies, and long-term development challenges.

History

The origins trace to post-World War I relief efforts led by Eglantyne Jebb and Dorothy Buxton, who campaigned after the Treaty of Versailles era for international legal protections for children, contributing to the drafting that influenced the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1924). During the Spanish Civil War and World War II, affiliated national societies provided relief in conflict zones, later expanding into decolonization-era contexts such as India, Kenya, and Nigeria during the mid-20th century. The organization grew through creation of national members across Europe and the Americas, collaborating with agencies such as the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and later the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). In the late 20th and early 21st centuries it responded to crises including the Rwandan genocide, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the Syrian Civil War, and the West African Ebola epidemic. Institutional reforms and the establishment of an international secretariat paralleled trends seen in other federated INGOs such as Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières.

Mission and Governance

The stated mission centers on protecting children's rights and providing humanitarian and development support, aligning with instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and engaging with bodies including the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. Governance combines a confederation model of national member organisations and an international secretariat overseen by a board of trustees and an executive leadership team; this structure echoes governance patterns of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Amnesty International. Accountability mechanisms include compliance with standards promulgated by the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability and engagement with donors such as United States Agency for International Development and the European Commission. The organization has maintained partnerships with international financial institutions such as the World Bank and intergovernmental entities like UNICEF and the World Health Organization for programmatic alignment.

Programs and Operations

Programs span emergency response, health, nutrition, child protection, education, and social policy. Emergency operations deploy in contexts like Haiti earthquakes, the Horn of Africa drought, and conflicts in Yemen and Afghanistan, coordinating with clusters under the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Education initiatives have operated in refugee contexts associated with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees camps on the borders of Jordan and Lebanon hosting Syrians, and in protracted displacement settings such as those from the Darfur conflict and the South Sudanese Civil War. Health and nutrition programs have worked alongside Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria efforts, while child protection activities have intersected with judicial and policing reforms in countries like Colombia and Philippines. Monitoring and evaluation draw on methodologies used by development practitioners in organizations such as Save the Children UK-affiliated national members, CARE International, and Plan International.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding is a mix of institutional grants, private philanthropy, corporate partnerships, and public fundraising across national members. Institutional donors include bilateral agencies like USAID, the Department for International Development (now part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), and multilateral donors such as the European Union and World Bank trust funds. Corporate partnerships have linked with multinational firms across sectors, and philanthropic support involves foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and individual high-net-worth donors. Collaboration frameworks involve alliances with humanitarian consortia like Inter-Agency Standing Committee members and regional bodies including the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in program delivery and advocacy campaigns.

Advocacy and Policy Work

Advocacy priorities include child protection, ending child poverty, universal access to education, immunization coverage, and responses to child displacement and trafficking. The organization has engaged with international law and policy fora including the United Nations Security Council on issues such as children and armed conflict, the World Health Assembly on vaccinations, and the UN Commission on the Status of Women where gendered impacts on children are debated. Campaigns have paralleled global initiatives like the Sustainable Development Goals, contributing to policy dialogues with national legislatures, regional human rights courts, and UN treaty bodies. Partnerships with research institutions, think tanks, and university consortia have supported evidence-based policy briefs and technical guidance.

Criticism and Controversies

The organization has faced criticism typical of large international NGOs: operational failures, safeguarding breaches, and disputes over transparency and governance. High-profile incidents have prompted internal reviews and external scrutiny similar to debates involving Oxfam and Save the Children UK national entities, triggering reforms in safeguarding, whistleblower protections, and financial controls. Donor controversies and questions about ties to corporate partners or political actors have led to calls for stronger independence and accountability, echoing critiques leveled at other humanitarian actors like Human Rights Watch and International Rescue Committee. Litigation and inquiries in various jurisdictions have examined procurement, staff conduct, and compliance with safeguarding obligations, prompting revisions to policies and public reporting practices.

Category:Children's rights organizations