U-REPORT is a messaging tool to communicate with young people and achieve positive change.

A media release from U-Report said "children and young people have the right to say what they think should happen, and the right to have their opinions taken into account. They can provide valuable information when reporting what is happening in their communities, and with it, help improve their own lives and their peers."

U-Report allows for community participation. It is a free and open-source messaging tool (managed by Unicef and partners) and is designed to address issues that young people care about, so that marginalised groups and their communities have a voice on issues that matter to them, and have a chance to influence and achieve positive change. As of 2022, U-Report has over 22 million users in 93 countries. In Caribbean alone, there are over 50,000 U-Reporters in Haiti and over 13,000 in Jamaica, increasing everyday, the release said.

What is it used for

To improve the lives of young people everywhere, focusing on their issues.

While U-Report can be used to address any issue that affects children and young people, Unicef and partners use it to zero in on what it’s most important to young people at a given time, then share information with and among young people, raise awareness on the issues that impact them most, and collect quantifiable data on specific areas that impact the most vulnerable – including online child protection, health, education and emergency response.

Responses received from Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp in the open-source RapidPro platform are analysed in real time. The data is mapped at the local level and compiled nationally. Results are displayed in a public website, and anyone can access them aggregated by age, gender and location. U-Report is anonymous and completely transparent.

How does it work?

It’s free, voluntary, anonymous, it’s real-time, it’s now.

People join by sending a message via WhatsApp

U-Reporters answer a few questions to build their profile information (age, gender and location).

Regular polls are sent out to U-Reporters to gather their opinions. Social issues addressed vary from country to country.

Incoming messages are analysed in real time, sorted and displayed on a public website, aggregating the data by location, age and gender.

U-Reporters receive feedback, additional information and results.

Unicef and partners work with governments and decision makers towards achieving positive change with collected data.

How has it been used

U-Report received over 30 million messages in 2017, addressing multiple issues in multiple countries. A few examples of how U-Report has achieved change are:

U- Reporters are acting as both first responders to crises affecting them, and as community volunteers taking furthering the 2030 development agenda and improving outcomes for children. Over 600 partners are involved globally, including government, non-government, private sector, schools, universities and youth networks to bring together complimentary