How aware are we of children’s rights?
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We know that children are to be protected and provided for, but are we aware of their rights? The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989 in New York, set out – for the first time – the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of all children. This ground-breaking document recognises that specific measures need to be taken, and specific rights protected, to uphold and promote the human dignity of our most vulnerable citizens: children.
According to the CRC, children everywhere are entitled to basic human rights that include:
* The right to survival
* The right to develop to the fullest
* The right to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation and
* The right to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.
This means children are entitled to the same kinds of rights as adults, and that a child’s needs are legally binding rights that are non-negotiable. For UNICEF, the CRC has become more than just a reference document, but rather a systematic guide to everything it does for children. Guided by these principles, UNICEF is mandated to “advocate for the protection of children’s rights”. In line with its mission, UNICEF “strives to establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children”.
The CRC also provides UNICEF with the tools to assess and address child rights violations and how to reverse them. In more than 150 countries and territories where UNICEF has a presence, the agency works with a range of actors that include governments, communities, media and individuals to respect children’s rights, promoting full compliance with and implementation of the CRC.
It is important for all of us to be aware of and do our part to help uphold the rights of children. To support UNICEF and learn more about The Convention on the Rights of the Child, please visit: http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/Unicef-ChildrensRights.pdf
Source: UNICEF Malaysia (unicef.org/malaysia)
