How many rights of the child are there

The Convention on the Rights of the Child: The children’s version

1. Definition of a child

A child is any person under the age of 18.

All children have all these rights, no matter who they are, where they live, what language they speak, what their religion is, what they think, what they look like, if they are a boy or girl, if they have a disability, if they are rich or poor, and no matter who their parents or families are or what their parents or families believe or do. No child should be treated unfairly for any reason.

When adults make decisions, they should think about how their decisions will affect children. All   adults should do what is best for children. Governments should make sure children are protected and looked after by their parents, or by other people when this is needed. Governments should make sure that people and places responsible for looking after children are doing a good job.  

Governments must do all they can to make sure that every child in their countries can enjoy all the rights in this Convention.

Governments should let families and communities guide their children so that, as they grow up, they learn to use their rights in the best way. The more children grow, the less guidance they will need.

Every child has the right to be alive. Governments must make sure that children survive and develop in the best possible way.

Children must be registered when they are born and given a name which is officially recognized by the government. Children must have a nationality (belong to a country). Whenever possible, children should know their parents and be looked after by them.

Children have the right to their own identity – an official record of who they are which includes their name, nationality and family relations. No one should take this away from them, but if this happens, governments must help children to quickly get their identity back.

Children should not be separated from their parents unless they are not being properly looked after – for example, if a parent hurts or does not take care of a child. Children whose parents don’t live together should stay in contact with both parents unless this might harm the child. 

If a child lives in a different country than their parents, governments must let the child and parents travel so that they can stay in contact and be together.

Governments must stop children being taken out of the country when this is against the law – for example, being kidnapped by someone or held abroad by a parent when the other parent does not agree.

Children have the right to give their opinions freely on issues that affect them. Adults should listen and take children seriously.

Children have the right to share freely with others what they learn, think and feel, by talking, drawing, writing or in any other way unless it harms other people.

Children can choose their own thoughts, opinions and religion, but this should not stop other people from enjoying their rights. Parents can guide children so that as they grow up, they learn to properly use this right.

Children can join or set up groups or organisations, and they can meet with others, as long as this does not harm other people.

Every child has the right to privacy. The law must protect children’s privacy, family, home, communications and reputation (or good name) from any attack.

Children have the right to get information from the Internet, radio, television, newspapers, books and other sources. Adults should make sure the information they are getting is not harmful. Governments should encourage the media to share information from lots of different sources, in languages that all children can understand. 

Parents are the main people responsible for bringing up a child. When the child does not have any parents, another adult will have this responsibility and they are called a “guardian”. Parents and guardians should always consider what is best for that child. Governments should help them. Where a child has both parents, both of them should be responsible for bringing up the child.

Governments must protect children from violence, abuse and being neglected by anyone who looks after them.

Every child who cannot be looked after by their own family has the right to be looked after properly by people who respect the child’s religion, culture, language and other aspects of their life.

When children are adopted, the most important thing is to do what is best for them. If a child cannot be properly looked after in their own country – for example by living with another family – then they might be adopted in another country.

Children who move from their home country to another country as refugees (because it was not safe for them to stay there) should get help and protection and have the same rights as children born in that country.

Every child with a disability should enjoy the best possible life in society. Governments should remove all obstacles for children with disabilities to become independent and to participate actively in the community.

Children have the right to the best health care possible, clean water to drink, healthy food and a clean and safe environment to live in. All adults and children should have information about how to stay safe and healthy.

Every child who has been placed somewhere away from home - for their care, protection or health – should have their situation checked regularly to see if everything is going well and if this is still the best place for the child to be.

Governments should provide money or other support to help children from poor families.

Children have the right to food, clothing and a safe place to live so they can develop in the best possible way. The government should help families and children who cannot afford this.

Every child has the right to an education. Primary education should be free. Secondary and higher education should be available to every child. Children should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level possible. Discipline in schools should respect children’s rights and never use violence.

Children’s education should help them fully develop their personalities, talents and abilities. It should teach them to understand their own rights, and to respect other people’s rights, cultures and differences. It should help them to live peacefully and protect the environment.

Children have the right to use their own language, culture and religion - even if these are not shared by most people in the country where they live.

Every child has the right to rest, relax, play and to take part in cultural and creative activities.

Children have the right to be protected from doing work that is dangerous or bad for their education, health or development. If children work, they have the right to be safe and paid fairly.

Governments must protect children from taking, making, carrying or selling harmful drugs.

The government should protect children from sexual exploitation (being taken advantage of) and sexual abuse, including by people forcing children to have sex for money, or making sexual pictures or films of them.

Governments must make sure that children are not kidnapped or sold, or taken to other countries or places to be exploited (taken advantage of).

Children have the right to be protected from all other kinds of exploitation (being taken advantage of), even if these are not specifically mentioned in this Convention.

Children who are accused of breaking the law should not be killed, tortured, treated cruelly, put in prison forever, or put in prison with adults. Prison should always be the last choice and only for the shortest possible time. Children in prison should have legal help and be able to stay in contact with their family.

Children have the right to be protected during war. No child under 15 can join the army or take part in war.

Children have the right to get help if they have been hurt, neglected, treated badly or affected by war, so they can get back their health and dignity.

Children accused of breaking the law have the right to legal help and fair treatment. There should be lots of solutions to help these children become good members of their communities. Prison should only be the last choice.

If the laws of a country protect children’s rights better than this Convention, then those laws should be used.

Governments should actively tell children and adults about this Convention so that everyone knows about children’s rights.  

These articles explain how governments, the United Nations – including the Committee on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF - and other organisations work to make sure all children enjoy all their rights.

12 Child Rights Everyone Should Know

There are 8 million kids in Canada, and they all have something in common – their rights! November 20 marks National Child Day in Canada. It’s a time to celebrate the rights of children and youth and renew our commitment to upholding them.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child protects the economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights of children. Here are 12 areas of child rights that everyone should know.

1. Non-discrimination

Every child deserves equal treatment – regardless of their gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, physical appearance, ability, socio-economic status, nationality, creed, ideology, or other personal identities.

Children with disabilities have the right to receive the accommodations they need to thrive. Refugees should also receive help and maintain the same rights as children born in the country they now live in. Children from minority, disenfranchised, and Indigenous communities have the right to practise their religion, language, culture, and customs.

2. Family

Every child has the right to live with their family. The family can be of any structure, but the family should instil a sense of belonging, and provide a loving and nurturing environment. Children and youth deserve to feel an attachment to their caregivers, whomever their caregivers might be.

Children should not be separated from their parents unless one or both parents are abusive or neglectful, or their home environment is unsafe. Children whose parents do not live together should remain in contact with both parents unless contact harms the child. If a child lives in a different country from their parents, the child and parents must be allowed to travel so they can be together.

3. Health

Every child has the right to be alive. Young people deserve the best possible health care, nutritious food, clothing, clean water, electricity, and safe housing. Children should learn good health and hygiene habits in their schools and homes.

Children should have their mental, psychological, emotional, and physical health checked regularly, especially if they are away from home. Governments also have a responsibility to help families who cannot afford health expenses.

4. Protection From Harm

Every child deserves freedom from abuse. Children should be free from harmful work, drugs, sexual abuse, human trafficking, corporal punishment, emotional and psychological abuse, harmful detention, war, and any other forms of exploitation.

Children have the right to seek legal and medical help if they get hurt or abused. They should be free to make complaints about abuse to a third party, and abusers of children should receive prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

5. Identity

Children must be registered when they are born. The national government must recognize a child’s name and national identity, and children must be informed of their identity.

Children have a right to receive, access and transmit documents of their own identity. Official records should include their name, place and date of birth, and family relations. If documentation gets destroyed or if a child’s national identity is otherwise compromised, the government must assist the child in getting their identity back.

6. Education

Every child has the right to an education. Primary education should be free. Secondary education should be accessible to every child – every child should receive the highest level of education available to them.

Education should prepare children to participate as active citizens, teaching them about responsibility and a sense of community. They should also develop their personalities, talents, skills, rights, and abilities while learning to respect others’ autonomy, rights, cultures and differences.

7. Freedom of Thought

Children have the right to speak, express and share what they learn, think and feel. They may use any means of creative expression available to them unless their expression somehow harms others.

Children can determine their thoughts, means of expression, opinions, sociopolitical ideologies, and religious and spiritual beliefs, provided that their thoughts do not infringe upon the rights of others. Parents should teach children to express themselves and respect the opinions of others.

Children have the right to join or create groups and organizations. They have the right to meet with others and advocate for change, as long as they do not harm others.

Children have the right to give their opinions on issues that affect them. Adults should take the concerns and opinions of children seriously.

8. Access to Information

Children have the right to transmit and receive information through the internet, radio, phone, television, books and other resources. Adults should ensure that the information children are transmitting and receiving is not harmful. However, they should encourage and teach ways to access and critically process information.

Governments should make access to information as free as possible. They should share information from multiple sources and in multiple languages.

9. Privacy

Every child deserves privacy. The law must protect children’s privacy in all areas, including online. Personal documentation of children should not be published.

A child’s family, home, personal communications and reputation should be protected. Victims of abuse should not have their names, faces or information published.

10. The Arts

Every child has the right to engage in cultural and creative activities. Children from minority populations have the right to participate in activities that the majority populations of their country do not participate in.

Cultural activities and creative works should represent children of all backgrounds. Children should be free from art designed to traumatize, provoke or disturb them. However, they should receive access to and be allowed to create art that is controversial or unpopular, without fear of censorship.

11. Reparation

If a child is victimized, traumatized, displaced, separated from their parents, or otherwise subject to harm, they should receive reparation and rehabilitation. Children have the right to receive help after enduring any type of pain, trauma or neglect, so they can regain their health, dignity and identity.

Every child has the right to receive legal help and fair treatment. Governments should provide money and resources to assist children from poor and disenfranchised communities.

12. Government Responsibility

Governments must do everything possible to ensure that children enjoy all their inalienable rights and develop in a safe and free society. Governments should prioritize child rights when considering any major policy.

If the laws of a country protect child rights better than the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, those laws take higher priority. Governments should make active efforts to inform children about their rights.

Find Resources on Child Rights

Children have the right to be treated as citizens. They deserve to grow in a society that loves, cares, respects and protects them. Children are entitled to rights just as much as adults.

You can do something to raise awareness about child rights. Take action to support child rights in Canada today.

Convention on the Rights of the Child (children's version)

Article 1 Definition of a child

Until you are 18 years old, you are considered a child and have all the rights set forth in this Convention.

Section 2. Prohibition of discrimination

You shall not be discriminated against for any reason, including race, color, sex, language, religion, belief, origin, social or property status, health and birth, your parents or legal guardians or any other circumstances. nine0005

Article 3. The best interests of the child

In all actions concerning children, the best interests of you and any child must be a primary consideration.

Article 4. Implementation of the rights of the Convention

The state must take care that the rights of this Convention are available to you and all children.

Article 5. Family upbringing and development of the child's abilities

Your family has the primary responsibility for raising you so that as you grow up, you learn to properly exercise your rights. The state must respect this right. nine0005

Article 6. The right to life and development

You have the right to live and develop. The state is obliged to ensure your survival and healthy development.

Article 7 Registration of health, name, citizenship and parental care

You have the right to have your birth, name and citizenship officially registered. You have the right to know your parents and count on their care.

Article 8. Preservation of individuality

The state must respect your right to a name, citizenship, and family ties.

Article 9. Separation from parents

You must not be separated from your parents unless it is in your best interest (For example, when your parents do not care for you or treat you cruelly). If your parents are divorced, you have the right to meet with them regularly, except when doing so would harm you.

Article 10. Family reunification

If you and your parents live in different countries, you should be able to cross the borders of those countries and enter your own in order to maintain a personal relationship with your parents or reunite with your family.

Article 11. Protection against illegal transfer to another country

The state must take measures to prevent illegal removal of you from your country.

Article 12. Respect for the views of the child

If adults make decisions that affect you, you have the right to freely express your opinion and your opinion must be taken into account in making such decisions.

Article 13. Freedom of expression and information

You have the right to have, seek, receive and transmit information of any kind (for example, through writing, art, television, radio or the Internet), as long as this information does not harm you and other people

Article 14. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion

You have the right to belief and religion and may practice your religion as long as it does not violate the rights of others. Your parents should explain these rights to you.

Article 15. Freedom of association and peaceful assembly

You have the right to meet and form groups with other children, as long as it does not harm other people.

Article 16. Private life, honor and reputation

You have the right to privacy. No one has the right to harm your reputation, as well as enter your house and read your letters or e-mail without permission. You and your family have the right to be protected from unlawful attacks on your honor and reputation. nine0005

Article 17. Access to information and the media

You have the right to reliable information from various sources, including books, newspapers and magazines, television, radio and the Internet. Information should be useful and accessible to your understanding.

Article 18. Responsibility of parents

Parents are equally responsible for your upbringing and development and must always consider your best interests. The state must provide parents with adequate assistance in the upbringing and development of their children, especially if the parents work. nine0005

Article 19 Protection from all forms of violence, neglect and abuse

The state must ensure that you are well cared for and protect you from violence, neglect and abuse by your parents or those who care about you cares.

Article 20. Protection of a child deprived of a family

If your parents and family cannot take care of you sufficiently, then people who respect your religion, tradition and language should look after you. nine0005

Article 21. Adoption

If you are adopted, your best interests must be strictly observed first of all, regardless of whether you are adopted in the country where you were born, or you were transferred to live in another country.

Article 22. Refugee children

If you come to a new country because it is dangerous to live in your homeland, you have the right to protection and support. You are entitled to the same rights as children born in this country. nine0005

Article 23 Children with disabilities

If you have a mental or physical disability, you have the right to special care, support and education so that you can lead a full and independent life and participate in society, in accordance with to their possibilities.

Article 24 Health and healthcare

You have the right to your own health care (eg medicines, access to hospitals and trained health professionals). You have the right to drinking water, nutritious food, a clean environment and disease prevention to keep you healthy. Rich countries should help poorer countries achieve these standards. nine0005

Article 25. Periodic assessment in care

If you are in care and cared for by local authorities or institutions, and not by your parents, the state must regularly check your living conditions to make sure that you are well cared for .

Article 26, Social security

The society in which you live must provide you with the opportunity to enjoy its benefits that help you develop and live in good conditions (for example, education, culture, nutrition, health and social security). The state should provide additional funds for children in needy families. nine0005

Article 27. Standard of living

You have the right to the right to a standard of living adequate for your physical, mental, and spiritual and moral development. The state should help those parents who cannot provide their children with the necessary living conditions.

Article 28. The right to education

You have the right to education. Schools must respect the rights of the child and show respect for their human dignity. Primary education should be compulsory and free. Rich countries should help poorer countries achieve these standards. nine0005

Article 29. Aims of education

Educational institutions must develop your personality and fully develop your talents, mental and physical abilities. They should prepare you for adult life and teach you to respect your parents, cultural values ​​and traditions, your own and other countries. You have the right to learn how to properly use your rights.

Article 30. Children belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples

You have the right to speak your native language, observe native customs and practice your religion, regardless of whether they are shared by the majority of people in your country. nine0005

Article 31. Recreation, leisure and cultural life

You have the right to rest and play, as well as to participate in cultural and creative life.

Article 32. Child labor

The state must protect you from dangerous, harmful and backbreaking work that interferes with your education and allows others to exploit you.

Article 33. Children and illegal drug use

The state must do everything possible to protect you from illegal drug use, to prevent your participation in the production and trade of drugs. nine0005

Section 34. Protection from sexual exploitation

The state must protect you from any form of sexual abuse.

Article 35. Protection from child trafficking, smuggling and kidnapping

The state must fight with all its might against the kidnapping, smuggling and sale of children to other countries for the purpose of exploitation.

Article 36. Protection from other forms of exploitation

You must be protected from any action that may harm your development and well-being. nine0005

Article 37. Protection from torture, ill-treatment and imprisonment

If you have broken the law, you should not be treated cruelly. You cannot be put in jail with adults, you must be able to keep in touch with your family.

Article 38 Protection of children affected by armed conflict

If you are under 15 years old (18 in most European countries), the state must not allow you to join the army or directly participate in armed conflicts. Children in conflict zones should receive special protection and care. nine0005

Article 39. Rehabilitation care

If you are a victim of abuse, conflict, torture, neglect or exploitation, the state must do everything possible to restore your physical and mental health and allow you to return to society.

Article 40. Administration of justice for juvenile offenders

If you are accused of breaking the law, you must be treated in such a way that your human dignity is preserved. You are entitled to legal assistance and can only be sentenced to prison for very serious crimes. nine0005

Article 41. Application of the highest standards

If the laws of your country protect the rights of the child better than the provisions of this Convention, then the laws of that country should apply. Article 42 Dissemination of information about the Convention

The State shall disseminate information about the Convention among adults, institutions and children.

Articles 43-54. Obligations of states

These articles explain how adults and states must work together to ensure that children's rights are respected. nine0005

Note: The Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989 and entered into force in 1990. The Convention has 54 articles that define the rights of children and how these rights should be ensured and supported by states. Almost all countries in the world have ratified this Convention, promising to respect all the rights and freedoms of this Convention.

Handbook for Human Rights Education with Youth

The human rights treaty defines a child as any person under 18 years of age. In 2005, UNICEF estimated the total number of children in the world at 2.2 billion. In Europe, children probably make up a tenth of the population - about 200 million. nine0005

Children are people, that is, they have exactly the same human rights as adults. However, children have been recognized as being in particular need of care and assistance, and therefore they also have their own human rights treaty, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC was adopted by the United Nations in 1989 and entered into force on 2 September 1990. The CRC applies to all children under the age of 18 in countries that have adopted it – and almost every country in the world has already done so. Only the United States of America and Somalia have not ratified this Convention. nine0005

Why is CRC so important?

The CRC is the most widely ratified human rights instrument in the world. It marks a milestone in the history of children's rights because it is the first legally binding international instrument adopted specifically to protect children's rights.

The CRC does not grant children any additional rights over other people, but the Convention recognizes that additional safeguards may be needed to ensure that children have access to the human rights that all human beings enjoy. Among international treaties, this Convention is distinguished by the fact that it contains a full range of human rights: civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. nine0005

The CRC has brought about a shift in attitudes towards children, as the CRC views children as human beings with rights and responsibilities that reflect their evolving abilities. In addition, the CRC has created a specific framework for ensuring children's rights.

If every child, regardless of their sex, ethnicity, social status, language, age, nationality or religion, has these rights, then children must also respect each other on the basis of humanity. While children have the right to be protected from conflict, abuse, exploitation and abandonment, they also have the duty not to harass or harm each other. If children have the right to a clean environment, then they are also responsible for taking care of their environment. nine0275 1

Why is it more difficult for children to access certain rights than for adults?

How does KPR work?

Every five years, countries that have signed the CRC must submit a report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on what they have done to ensure the rights set forth in the Convention. Other organizations are also invited to submit their reports, and NGOs often point to possible violations of the Convention that were not mentioned in the official government report. The committee is made up of independent experts and after it has considered all the submitted reports - governmental as well as from NGOs - a session is held in Geneva to interview government representatives and then adopt a series of Concluding Observations. They are recommendations that countries should follow in order to correct or improve those areas where, in the opinion of the Committee, the Convention is not properly implemented. The next time the government submits its report, the experts check whether the previous commitments have been fulfilled. nine0005

What would you say to the Committee on the Rights of the Child regarding children's rights in your country?

Optional Protocols to the CRC

There are two optional protocols to the CRC, both of which were adopted in May 2000 and are also monitored by the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The first of these is the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict; the second is the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. In June 2011, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a draft third Optional Protocol on a procedure for reporting violations of children's rights. This new protocol will allow the Committee on the Rights of the Child to consider communications from children and their representatives about alleged violations of their rights. nine0005

Main features of the CRC

The CRC contains 54 articles that cover a full and wide range of rights - civil, political, cultural, social and economic - all of which are the basis for protecting the rights of people under the age of 18. The CRC is based on three categories of rights and is guided by four principles.

Three categories of rights

Articles of the CRC protecting principles can be grouped into three categories - participation, protection and provision (in English - participation, protection and provision - often called "three Ps"). nine0005

Participation was (and still is) a very innovative approach and reflects the Convention's treatment of children as subjects rather than objects of law. Many adults, and many societies in general, tend to treat children as if they were incapable of thinking for themselves, or as if their preferences or feelings mattered little - at least with regard to decisions that concern their well-being. . The Convention also promotes the idea of ​​children as people whose wishes must be taken into account. The Convention states that children have the right to be respected and treated with dignity simply because they are human beings, regardless of their age. Part of this "treatment with dignity" is that they should be allowed to be autonomous human beings, to express their wishes and opinions as soon as they are able to do so, and to have their wishes and opinions considered as an important factor in making decisions that affect them. nine0005

In addition to recognizing children's right to participation, the Convention also recognizes that children may need special protection from, for example, harassment, abuse, exploitation and abuse. The third category of rights is security, which covers all the rights that are necessary for the life support and full development of the child, such as the right to adequate food, clean water, housing, formal education and health care.

To what extent do you listen to the young people you work with and consider their wishes? nine0004