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UNICEFs mission is to advocate for the protection of childrens rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided in doing this by the provisions and principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Built on varied legal systems and cultural traditions, the Convention is a universally agreed set of nonnegotiable standards and obligations. These basic standardsalso called human rightsset minimum entitlements and freedoms that should be respected by governments. They are founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, regardless of race, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, origins, wealth, birth status or ability and therefore apply to every human being everywhere. With these rights comes the obligation on both governments and individuals not to infringe on the parallel rights of others. These standards are both interdependent and indivisible; we cannot ensure some rights without or at the expense ofother rights.
UNICEF/ HQ05-1469/Pirozzi The human rights framework shows that members of any family, like this one in Pakistan, are entitled to all of their rights. Everyone, everywhere has the same rights as a result of our common humanity.
Human rights are those rights which are essential to live as human beings basic standards without which people cannot survive and develop in dignity. They are inherent to the human person,inalienable and universal.
The United Nations set a common standard on human rights with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Although this Declaration is not part of binding international law, its acceptance by all countries around the world gives great moral weight to the fundamental principle that all human beings, rich and poor, strong and weak, male and female, of all races and religions, are to be treated equally and with respect for their natural worth as human beings. The United Nations has since adopted many legally binding international human rights instruments. These treaties are used as a framework for discussing and applying human rights. Through these instruments, the principles and rights they outline become legal obligations on those States choosing to be bound by them. The framework also establishes legal and other mechanisms to hold governments accountable in the event they violate human rights. The instruments of the international human rights framework are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the six core human rights treaties: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Every country in the world has ratified at least one of these, and many have ratified most of them. These treaties are important tools for holding governments accountable for the respect for, protection of and realization of the rights of individuals in their country. As part of the framework of human rights law, all human rights areindivisible, interrelated and interdependent. Understanding this framework is important to promoting, protecting and realizing childrens rights because the Convention on the Rights of the Childand the rights and duties contained in itare part of the framework.
UNICEF/HQ91-0241/Toutounji Women are trained to teach children to read and write in a project supported by UNICEF in Yemen.
The path to the Convention on the Rights of the Child has been long and slow. In 1945, the United Nations Charter laid the groundwork for the Convention by urging nations to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms 'for all'. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights followed three years later, further stressing that "motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and protection" and referring to the family as "the natural and fundamental group unit of society." Several Declarations on the Rights of the Child were agreed during the twentieth century, the last in 1959 "recognizing that Mankind owes to the child the best that it has to give." Declarations are statements of moral and ethical intent but they are not legally binding instruments. The international human rights framework was therefore built to contain covenants (or conventions) that carry the weight of international law. In 1976, the first two covenantsthe International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rightsbecame binding on States parties. These two Covenants used the foundation of the rights and principles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and thus provided a legal as well as a moral obligation for countries to respect the human rights of each individual.
Childrens rights then followed the same path. In 1978, on the eve of the United Nations-sponsored International Year of the Child, a draft text was proposed for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Drawing heavily from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, a working group within the United Nations then collaborated and revised the draft, finally agreeing what became the articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Final approval from United Nations Member States came when the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the text of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 20 November 1989. The Convention then became legally binding in September 1990, after 20 States had ratified it. Many countries ratified the Convention very soon after it was adopted and others continued to ratify or accede to it, making it the most widely ratified human rights treaty. Nearly all States are now parties. Somalia and the United States have not yet ratified the Convention but have signed it, indicating their support.
UNICEF/ HQ02-0144/Susan Markisz In May 2002, the UN Special Session of the General Assembly on Children focused attention on making progress for children and investing in them as keys to building global peace and security.
The United Nations has repeatedly emphasized the need to integrate human rights into the broad range of its activities. It is essential to recognize the potential of almost all UN human rights mechanisms and procedures for contributing to the protection and promotion of childrens rights.
the World Summit for Social Development (1995), the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995), the Millennium Summit (2000), and the World Summit and Special Session on Children (2005). The 1993 World Conference on Human Rights, in particular, recognized that the human rights of children constitute a priority for action within the United Nations system. At the 2005 Special Session on Children, Member States committed themselves to improving the situation of children.
UNICEF/HQ93-1356/Roger LeMoyne Children, such as this small boy in China, need the support of their families and every member of society.
Human rights apply to all age groups; children have the same general human rights as adults. But children are particularly vulnerable and so they also have particular rights that recognize their special need for protection.
UNICEF/HQ93-0407/LeMoyne Birth registration is a simple way to help children realize their rights throughout life.
Governments must be sensitive to the rights of all their citizensnot just to those of childrenbut the world community recognizes that priority should be given to protecting childrens rights. There are many reasons for singling out children's rights in a separate human rights Convention: Children are individuals.Children are neither the possessions of parents nor of the state, nor are they mere people-in-the-making; they have equal status as members of the human family. Children start life as totally dependent beings. Children must rely on adults for the nurture and guidance they need to grow towards independence. Such nurture is ideally found in adults in children's families, but when primary caregivers cannot meet children's needs, it is up to society to fill the gap.
The actions, or inactions, of government impact children more strongly than any other group in society. Practically every area of government policy (for example, education, public health and so on) affects children to some degree. Short-sighted policymaking that fails to take children into account has a negative impact on the future of all members of society by giving rise to policies that cannot work. Children's views are rarely heard and rarely considered in the political process. Children generally do not vote and do not otherwise take part in political processes. Without special attention to the opinions of childrenas expressed at home and in schools, in local communities and even in governmentschildren's views go unheard on the many important issues that affect them now or will affect them in the future. Many changes in society are having a disproportionate, and often negative, impact on children. Transformation of the family structure, globalization, shifting employment patterns and a shrinking social welfare net in many countries all have strong impacts on children. The impact of these changes can be particularly devastating in situations of armed conflict and other emergencies. The healthy development of children is crucial to the future well-being of any society. Because they are still developing, children are especially vulnerablemore so than adultsto poor living conditions such as poverty, inadequate health care, nutrition, safe water, housing and environmental pollution. The affects of disease, malnutrition and poverty threaten the future of children and therefore the future of the societies in which they live. The costs to society of failing its children are huge. Social research findings show that children's earliest experiences significantly influence their future development. The course of their development determines their contribution, or cost, to society over the course of their lives.
UNICEF/HQ04/1202/Vitale Families have the primary responsibility for raising children, but governments must help those needing assistance.
While the Convention on the Rights of the Child is addressed to governments as representatives of the people, it actually addresses the responsibilities of all members of society. Overall, its standards can be realized only when respected by everyoneparents and members of the family and the community; professionals and others working in schools, in other public and private institutions, in services for children, in the courts and at all levels of government administrationand when each of these individuals carries out his or her unique role and function with respect to these standards.
The Convention specifically refers to the family as the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of its members, particularly children. Under the Convention, States are obliged to respect parents' primary responsibility for providing care and guidance for their children and to support parents in this regard, providing material assistance and support programmes. States are also obliged to prevent children from being separated from their families unless the separation is necessary for the child's best interests.
UNICEF/ HQ990849/LeMoyne The Convention applies to everyone equally, with special protections for particularly vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minority children.
The principles outlined in the international human rights framework apply both to children and adults. Children are mentioned explicitly in many of the human rights instruments; standards are specifically modified or adapted where the needs and concerns surrounding a right are distinct for children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child brings together the childrens human rights articulated in other international instruments. This Convention articulates the rights more completely and provides a set of guiding principles that fundamentally shapes the way in which we view children. This compilation and clarification of childrens human rights sets out the necessary environment and means to enable every human being to develop to their full potential. The articles of the Convention, in
addition to laying the foundational principles from which all rights must be achieved, call for the provision of specific resources, skills and contributions necessary to ensure the survival and development of children to their maximum capability. The articles also require the creation of means to protect children from neglect, exploitation and abuse. All children have the same rights. All rights are interconnected and of equal importance. The Convention stresses these principles and refers to the responsibility of children to respect the rights of others, especially their parents. By the same token, children's understanding of the issues raised in the Convention will vary depending on the age of the child. Helping children to understand their rights does not mean parents should push them to make choices with consequences they are too young to handle. The Convention expressly recognizes that parents have the most important role in the bringing up children. The text encourages parents to deal with rights issues with their children "in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child" (article 5). Parents, who are intuitively aware of their child's level of development, will do this naturally. The issues they discuss, the way in which they answer questions, or the discipline methods they use will differ depending on whether the child is 3, 9 or 16 years of age.
UNICEF/HQ03-0535/Pirozzi A man embraces his young grandson in Togo, a State party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child was the first instrument to incorporate the complete range of international human rights including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights as well as aspects of humanitarian law. The articles of the Convention may be grouped into four categories of rights and a set of guiding principles. By clicking on any of the categories below, you can link to a plain-language explanation of the applicable articles in the Convention. Additional provisions of the Convention (articles 43 to 54) discuss implementation measures for the Convention, explaining how governments and international organizations like UNICEF will work to ensure children are protected in their rights. You can see the full text of the Convention by clicking on the link in the box on the right. Guiding principles (pdf): The guiding principles of the Convention include non-discrimination; adherence to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and the right to participate. They represent the underlying requirements for any and all rights to be realized. Survival and development rights (pdf): These are rights to the resources, skills and contributions necessary for the survival and full development of the child. They include rights to adequate food, shelter, clean water, formal education, primary health care, leisure and recreation, cultural activities and information about their rights. These rights require not only the existence of the means to fulfil the rights but also access to them. Specific articles address the needs of child refugees, children with disabilities and children of minority or indigenous groups.
Protection rights (pdf): These rights include protection from all forms of child abuse, neglect, exploitation and cruelty, including the right to special protection in times of war and protection from abuse in the criminal justice system. Participation rights (pdf): Children are entitled to the freedom to express opinions and to have a say in matters affecting their social, economic, religious, cultural and political life. Participation rights include the right to express opinions and be heard, the right to information and freedom of association. Engaging these rights as they mature helps children bring about the realization of all their rights and prepares them for an active role in society. The equality and interconnection of rights are stressed in the Convention. In addition to governments obligations, children and parents are responsible for respecting the rights of othersparticularly each other. Childrens understanding of rights will vary depending on age and parents in particular should tailor the issues they discuss, the way in which they answer questions and discipline methods to the age and maturity of the individual child.
UNICEF/HQ990825/LeMoyne Two children return home from school in Viet Nam, which is a State party to most of the core human rights treaties.
Children and young people have the same basic general human rights as adults and also specific rights that recognise their special needs. Because the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) brings together rights articulated in other international treaties there are many parallels between the Convention and other treaties. The five other core human rights instruments are: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR); the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Torture Convention); the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Race Discrimination Convention); and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Womens Convention). Among other rights found in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and shared with one or more of these instruments are:
Non-discrimination (Article 2): All human rights instruments prohibit any discrimination distinction, exclusion, restriction or preferencein the provision, protection and promotion of rights. In other words, everyone has the human rights in these treaties, irrespective of their race, sex, religion, national origin or any other trait. The Race Convention wholly prohibits discrimination based on race, national origin or ethnicity and outlines steps that governments must take to end it. The Womens Convention likewise calls for an end to discrimination, based on sex, and outlines specific areas of life in which women must be treated equally in order to eliminate discrimination; Right to life (Article 6): also found in Article 6 of the ICCPR;
Right to freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (Article 37): outlined for everyone in the Torture Convention and also included as Article 7 of the ICCPR; Right of detained persons to be treated with dignity (Article 37): Article 10 of the ICCPR broadly states this right and the Convention on the Rights of the Child specifies that children in this situation must be treated in a way that takes their age into account; Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 14): found in Article 18 of the ICCPR; Right to freedom of opinion and of expression (Article 13): found in Article 19 of the ICCPR; Right to adequate standard of living (Article 27): found in article 11 of the ICESCR; Right to health and health services (Article 24): found in Article 12 of the ICESCR; and Right to education (Article 28): found in Article 13 of the ICESCR.
Many Articles of both the ICCPR and the ICESCR call attention to the special needs of families and children. These include Article 24 of the ICCPR (calling for the protection of children and registration at birth of their name and nationality) and Article 10 of the ICESCR (calling for specific attention, protection and assistance to children). These examples show that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is founded on rights inherent to everyone, but that it also builds on concerns for the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children. For the text of any of the human rights conventions, see the box at right.
UNICEF in action
UNICEF/HQ05-0544/Estey A UNICEF protection officer helps a boy laugh again following an earthquake in Indonesia.
UNICEF's work for the overall protection of childhood is guided by the principles and standards established by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In advocating to protect children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential, UNICEF helps to change the legal and policy framework of States parties and to improve understanding of the Convention itself at all levels of society. Among other activities, UNICEF works in nearly 160 countries to support ratification and implementation of the Convention and the Optional Protocols on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. UNICEF draws attention to the duties of governments, families, communities and individuals to respect those rights and supports them in doing so. UNICEF also supports the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which monitors implementation of the Convention and Optional Protocols by States parties. UNICEF is given a special role under the Convention with respect to monitoring. In addition to contributing advice and assistance to the
Committee, UNICEF facilitates broad consultations within States to maximize the accuracy and impact of reports to the Committee.
UNICEF, government authorities and relief groups support education for children in Sudan.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child has been used around the world to promote and protect childrens rights.In the years since its adoption the world has seen significant advances in the fulfilment of childrens rights to survival, health and education through the provision of essential goods and services, and a growing recognition of the need to create a protective environment to shield children from exploitation, abuse and violence. However there is still much to be done to create a world fit for children. Progress has been uneven, with some countries lagging considerably behind others in giving child rights its deserved prominence on national agendas. And in several regions and countries some of the gains appear in danger of reversal from threats like poverty, armed conflict and HIV/AIDS. Every one of us has a role to play in ensuring that every child enjoys a childhood. If you are a parent, teacher, social worker or other professional working with children, raise awareness of the Convention on the Rights of the Child among children. If you are a member or employee of an organization working for childrens rights, raise awareness of the Convention and its Optional Protocols, research and document governmental actions and policies and involve communities in promoting and protecting childrens rights. If you are a member of the media, promote knowledge and understanding of childrens rights and provide a forum for childrens participation in society. If you are a parliamentarian, ensure that all existing and new legislation and judicial practice is compatible with your countrys international obligations, monitor governments actions, policies and budgets and involve the communityincluding childrenin relevant decisionmaking. Everyone can participate in respecting, protecting and fulfilling childrens rights. And UNICEF can help. Whoever you are and wherever you are, contact your local UNICEF office or National Committee to see what you can do.