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LESSON 24
T e x t
The Convention on the Rights of the Child
The human rights of children and the standards to which all governments
must aspire in realizing these rights for all children, are formulated in the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention is the most
universally accepted human rights instrument in history — it has been
ratified by every country in the world except two. By ratifying this
instrument, national governments have committed themselves to protecting
and ensuring children’s rights.
Built on varied legal systems and cultural traditions, the Convention on
the Rights of the Child is a universally agreed
set of non-negotiable stand-
ards and obligations. It spells out the basic human rights that children
everywhere — without discrimination — have: the right to survival; to
develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and
exploitation, and to participate
fully in family, cultural and social life.
Every right spelled out in the Convention is inherent to the human
dignity and harmonious development of every child. The Convention
protects children’s rights by setting standards in health care, education and
legal, civil and social services. These standards are benchmarks against
which progress can be assessed. States that are party to the Convention are
obliged to develop and undertake all actions and policies in the light of the
best interests of the child.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child was carefully drafted over the
course of 10 years (1979 — 1989) with the input of representatives from all
societies, all religions and all cultures. The Convention has become the most
widely accepted human rights treaty ever.
Some people assume that the rights of children born in wealthy nations
— where schools, hospitals and juvenile justice systems are in place — are
never violated, that these children have no need for the protection and care
called for in the Convention. But that is far from the truth. To varying
degrees, at least some children in
all nations face unemployment,
homelessness, violence, poverty and other issues that dramatically affect
their lives.
All of us are born with human rights — a principle the Convention on
the Rights of the Child makes very clear. They belong to each and every one
of us equally. Children living in developing countries
have the same rights
as children in wealthy countries. The Convention places equal emphasis on
all of the rights for children.
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