1979 15c International Year of the Child

U.S. #1772
1979 15¢ International Year of the Child
Issue Date: February 15, 1979
City: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Quantity: 162,535,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Engraved
Perforations: 11
Color: Orange red

Issued on February 15, 1979, in Philadelphia, this 15-cent stamp marks the United Nations' International Year of the Child. The General Assembly of the United Nations had passed a resolution designating 1979 as the International Year of the Child, a year that also marked the 20th anniversary of the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child. The UN Secretary General asked each member country to observe the occasion, and the United States Postal Service responded with this stamp. Designed by Paul Calle and issued in sheets of 50, the design shows four children of different backgrounds — a quiet statement that the welfare of children is a universal concern.

The UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1959, set out ten principles affirming that every child deserves protection, adequate nutrition, free education, and the opportunity to develop in conditions of dignity and freedom. The International Year of the Child brought renewed global attention to how far many countries still were from meeting those principles, particularly in the developing world. UNICEF, the UN agency dedicated to children's welfare, was the central organization behind the year's worldwide activities. The stamp's design was later used by the United Nations on a limited-edition souvenir sheetlet sold internationally to raise funds for the UNICEF International Year of the Child Trust Fund.