Richard Jolly is a development economist and honorary professor and research associate of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, where he was director in the 1970s. He worked for the UN as an Assistant Secretary-General for almost 20 years: from 1982-95 as deputy executive director for programs of UNICEF and from 1996-2000 as special coordinator of UNDP's Human Development Report. After leaving the UN, he was for 10 years co-director of the UN Intellectual History Project and co-author of the summary volume, UN Ideas That Changed the World. His career has combined development action, research and teaching, for the UN, for governments, and for universities. He has worked as an economist in some dozen countries and written or edited some 20 books, notably on redistribution with growth, adjustment with a human face, disarmament and development. He was knighted by the Queen in 2001 for his contributions to international development.

Chapter 1 The vision of two early giants, 1946-60, Chapter 2 Planning for children and the role of economists, 1960-70, Chapter 3 "Basic services" and "health for all," 1970-80, Chapter 4 The Jim Grant years, 1980-95, Chapter 5 Nutrition, WASH, education, and "children in difficult circumstances", Chapter 6 The human rights-based approach, 1995-2010, Chapter 7 UNICEF today, Chapter 8 Conclusions for global governance and the UN