Activating a promise

Nearly 25 years ago, the world made a promise

to children: that we would do everything in our
power to protect and promote their rights to
survive and thrive, to learn and grow, to make
their voices heard and to reach their full
potential.
This year, as we approach the 25th anniversary
of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC), there is much to celebrate: from
declining infant mortality, to rising school
enrolment, to better opportunities for girls.
In spite of the overall gains, there are many
children who have fallen even further behind.
Old challenges have combined with new
problems to deprive many children of their
rights and the benefits of development. To
meet these challenges, and to reach those
children who are hardest to reach, we need
new ways of thinking and new ways of doing.
Recognizing this, UNICEF has declared 2014
as the Year of Innovation for Equity to focus
the worlds attention on showcasing and
developing innovative solutions for childrens
well-being. Throughout 2014, UNICEF will
convene a series of Activate Talks which
will bring together change makers from all
walks of life to rethink and rework how we can
deliver results for the most vulnerable and
marginalized children.
The talks will take place throughout 2014, and
will be live-streamed or broadcast on the
Activate Talks web portal. To broaden the
dialogue we invite all visitors to the site to get
involved in the discussions and debates and to
share their views and experiences of
innovation for children.

Updated: 4 November 2014

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.
The United Nations has since adopted many
legally binding international human rights
treaties and agreements. 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 are indivisible, interrelated
and interdependent. Understanding this
framework is important to promoting,
protecting and realizing childrens rights
because the CRCand the rights and duties
contained in itare part of the framework.

Human rights approach

Human rights are those rights which are
essential to live as human beings basic
standards without which people cannot survive
and develop in dignity. Human rights 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

Updated: 19 May 2014

Path to the CRC
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 Nationssponsored 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.

Updated: 19 May 2014

Protecting children's rights
Human rights apply to all age groups; children
have the same general human rights as adults.
In 1989, however, world leaders decided that
children needed a special convention just for
them because people under 18 years old often
need special care and protection that adults do
not. The leaders also wanted to make sure that
the world recognized that children have human
rights too. The Convention on the Rights of the
Child (CRC) is the first legally binding
international instrument to incorporate the full
range of human rightsincluding civil,
cultural, economic, political and social rights.
Childrens rights in the human rights
framework
The Convention on the Rights of the Child sets
out the rights that must be realized for children
to develop their full potential, free from hunger
and want, neglect and abuse. It reflects a new
vision of the child. Children are neither the
property of their parents nor are they helpless
objects of charity. They are human beings and
are the subject of their own rights. The
Convention offers a vision of the child as an
individual and as a member of a family and
community, with rights and responsibilities
appropriate to his or her age and stage of
development. By recognizing children's rights
in this way, the Convention firmly sets the
focus on the whole child.
The Convention and its acceptance by so many
countries has heightened recognition of the
fundamental human dignity of all children and
the urgency of ensuring their well-being and
development. The Convention makes clear the
idea that a basic quality of life should be the
right of all children, rather than a privilege
enjoyed by a few.
From abstract rights to realities
Despite the existence of rights, children suffer
from poverty, homelessness, abuse, neglect,
preventable diseases, unequal access to
education and justice systems that do not
recognize their special needs. These are
problems that occur in both industrialized and
developing countries.
The near-universal ratification of the
Convention reflects a global commitment to
the principles of children's rights. By ratifying
the Convention, governments state their
intention to put this commitment into practice.
State parties are obligated to amend and create

laws and policies to fully implement the

Convention; they must consider all actions
taken in light of the best interests of the child.

children's views go unheard on the many

important issues that affect them now or will
affect them in the future.

The task, however, must engage not just

governments but all members of society. The
standards and principles articulated in the
Convention can only become a reality when
they are respected by everyonewithin the
family, in schools and other institutions that
provide services for children, in communities
and at all levels of administration.

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.

Updated: 19 May 2014

Addressing the needs of children
Governments must respect the rights of all
their citizensnot only those of childrenbut
the global community gives priority 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 governments

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.

Promoting and protecting rights for

children
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 role of governments, families and children
Governments are obliged to recognize the full
spectrum of human rights for all children and
consider children in legislative and policy
decisions. While many States are beginning to
listen seriously to children's views on many

important issues, the process of change is still

in its earliest stages.
Children have a right to express their opinions
and to have their views taken seriously and
given due weight. But children also have a
responsibility to respect the rights of others,
especially those of their parents.
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.
Fulfilling obligations: putting principles into
practice
Under the Convention, State Parties have an
obligation to amend and create laws and
policies to fully implement the Convention. As
a result, the Convention has inspired a process
of national legal implementation and social
change in all regions of the world. Local and
national governments have amended laws to
take into consideration the best interests of the
child and adopted social policies that promote
realization of childrens rights. Individuals,
including children, and communities have
actively voiced their views and called for
change.
UNICEF has undertaken advocacy, cooperated
with governments and organizations and
provided technical assistance to further
implementation of the Convention. Other
United Nations agencies, such as the UN
Refugee Agency (UNHCR); the World Health
Organization (WHO); and the UN Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) actively promote the rights
embodied in the Convention. And many nongovernmental organizations work for better
implementation of the Convention.

Understanding the CRC

Nearly 25 years ago, the world made a promise
to children: that we would do everything in our
power to protect and promote their rights to
survive and thrive, to learn and grow, to make

their voices heard and to reach their full

potential. In spite of the overall gains, there are
many children who have fallen even further
behind. Old challenges have combined with
new problems to deprive many children of
their rights and the benefits of development.
To meet these challenges, and to reach those
children who are hardest to reach, we need
new ways of thinking and new ways of doing for adults and 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.

Rights under 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 plainlanguage 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 nondiscrimination; 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.
Human rights provisions
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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;

concerns for the specific needs and

vulnerabilities of children. For the text of any
of the human rights conventions, see the box at
right.

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;

UNICEF has commissioned research to

contribute to the global debate on child rights
education. This study explores child rights
education in early childhood education,
primary and secondary schools in 26 countries
with a UNICEF National Committee presence.
It includes a literature review, results from an
on-line survey completed by national experts,
seven country case studies and a series of
benchmarking statements to guide
implementation of child rights education.

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

Teaching and learning about child rights

Teaching and Learning about Child Rights: A
study of implementation in 26 countries

The online survey explores child rights

education in the curriculum, teacher education
and teacher qualifications, the existence of
student councils, and monitoring mechanisms
regarding the quality of child rights education.
The benchmarking statements are divided into
seven areas: official curriculum, teacher
education, resources, pedagogy, policy
alignment across the education system,
participation as a right, and monitoring and
accountability.
The research was commissioned by the
Advocacy and Child Rights Education Unit at
the UNICEF Private Fundraising and
Partnerships Division, Geneva and undertaken
by the Centre for Children's Rights in Queen's
University Belfast.

Child rights education and the child rights

approach
Learning about child rights and the child rights
approach empowers children and adults to
bring about change in their immediate
environment and the world at large to ensure
that the rights of all children are fully realized.
Child rights education is teaching and learning
about the provisions and principles of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child and the
child rights approach in order to empower
both adults and children to take action to
advocate for and apply these at the family,
school, community, national and global levels.
Child rights education promotes a vision,

articulated in the Convention, that the child

should be fully prepared to live an individual
life in society, and be brought up in the spirit
of the ideals proclaimed in the Charter of the
United Nations, and in particular in the spirit
of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality
and solidarity.
By building capacity, child rights education
aims to support rights-holders especially
children to claim their rights and dutybearers to fulfil their obligations. It helps
adults and children work together, providing
space and encouragement for the meaningful
participation and sustained civic engagement
of children.
Childrens rights are human rights.
Consequently, child rights education is a
specific component of human rights
education.
Child rights education seeks:
o

to embed the provisions and

principles of the Convention and the
child rights approach in formal and
non-formal learning curricula and
learning environments; as well as in
the curricula and training of
professionals working directly with
children, or on issues affecting
children

to raise awareness of the provisions

and principles and the child rights
approach through mass media and
other channels to reach caregivers,
community members and other
members of the public

to build the capacity of children (as

rights-holders) and adults (as dutybearers) to advocate for and
implement these provisions,
principles and the child rights
approach in daily life and professional
practice

UNICEF Child Rights Education Toolkit:

Rooting Child Rights in Early Childhood
Education, Primary and Secondary Schools
(First Edition)
UNICEF has developed a child rights'
education toolkit on Rooting Child Rights in
Early Childhood Education, Primary and
Secondary Schools.

The toolkit defines what is meant by child

rights education and the child rights
approach. The toolkit explains the relevance of
child rights education to UNICEFs mission
and the ways in which education can take
place in a range of contexts--including with
professionals, caregivers, the corporate sector,
the media, and childrens groups.
The toolkit uses the metaphor of a tree to
explore child rights education in the context of
school-based initiatives that promote learning
about rights, learning through rights (using
rights as an organizing principle to transform
the culture of learning) and learning for rights
(taking action to realize rights), in an overall
context of learning as a right. It contains a
range of practical tools, checklists, mapping
exercises, project examples and evidence of
the benefits of high quality child rights
education.
Although the approaches in the toolkit are
relevant for all countries, the first edition
focuses on the work of National Committees in
high-income countries. A second edition in the
future will also cover the related work of
UNICEF country offices.

Using the CRC and Protocols for children

International human rights treaties and
agreements such as the CRC and its Optional
Protocols are negotiated among United Nations
Member States and are legally binding on the
individual States that become parties to the
agreement. There are two ways for a State to
become a party: by signature and ratification or
by accession.
In ratifying the Convention or an Optional
Protocol, a State accepts an obligation to
respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights as
outlinedincluding adopting or changing laws
and policies that are needed to implement the
provisions of the agreement.
The Convention places equal emphasis on all
rights for children. There is no such thing as a
'small' right. There is no hierarchy of human
rights. Childrens rights are indivisible and
interrelated, with a focus on the child as a
whole. Governmental decisions with regard to
any one right must be made in the light of all
the other rights in the Convention.
Governments that ratify the Convention or one
of its Optional Protocols must report to the
Committee on the Rights of the Child, the

body of experts charged with monitoring

States' implementation of the Convention and
Optional Protocols. These reports outline the
situation of children in the country and explain
the measures taken by the State to realize their
rights. In its reviews of States reports, the
Committee urges all levels of government to
use the Convention as a guide in policymaking
and implementation. And because the
protection of human rights is by nature a
permanent and ongoing process, there is
always room for improvement.

Signature, ratification and accession

The process of creating binding obligations
on governments
International human rights treaties are
developed by a process of negotiation among
United Nations Member States to produce a
commonly acceptable set of standards.
Individual States then decide for themselves
whether to be legally bound by the treaty.
There are two ways for a State to become a
party to the Convention on the Rights of the
Child: by signature and ratification or by
accession. Both of these acts signify an
agreement to be legally bound by the terms of
the Convention.
The Optional Protocols to the Convention are
considered independently of the Convention
and must be ratified or acceded to separately,
but the process is the same. States do not need
to be a party to the Convention in order to
ratify or accede to one or both of the Optional
Protocols.
Signature
Signature constitutes a preliminary
endorsement of the Convention or Protocol.
Signing the instrument does not create a
binding legal obligation but does demonstrate
the States intent to examine the treaty
domestically and consider ratifying it. While
signing does not commit a State to ratification,
it does oblige the State to refrain from acts that
would defeat or undermine the treatys
objective and purpose.
Ratification or Accession
Ratification or accession signifies an
agreement to be legally bound by the terms of
the Convention. Though accession has the
same legal effect as ratification, the procedures
differ. In the case of ratification, the State first
signs and then ratifies the treaty. The procedure
for accession has only one stepit is not
preceded by an act of signature.
The formal procedures for ratification or
accession vary according to the national

legislative requirements of the State. Prior to

ratification or accession, a country normally
reviews the treaty to determine whether
national laws are consistent with its provisions
and to consider the most appropriate means of
promoting compliance with the treaty.
Most commonly, countries that are promoting
the Convention sign shortly after it has been
adopted. They then ratify the treaty when all of
their domestically required legal procedures
have been fulfilled. Other States may begin
with the domestic approval process and accede
to the treaty once their domestic procedures
have been completed, without signing the
treaty first.
Both ratification and accession involve two
steps. First, the appropriate national organ of
the countryParliament, Senate, the Crown,
Head of State or Government, or a
combination of thesefollows domestic
constitutional procedures and makes a formal
decision to be a party to the treaty. Second, the
instrument of ratification or accession, a
formal sealed letter referring to the decision
and signed by the States responsible authority,
is prepared and deposited with the United
Nations Secretary-General in New York.
Implementation
Fulfilling obligations under the Convention
on the Rights of the Child and its Optional
Protocols
Translating child rights principles into practice
requires action and leadership by governments.
By ratifying the Convention, States commit to
undertaking "all appropriate legislative,
administrative and other measures" for the full
realization of the rights it contains and to
reporting on these measures to the Committee
on the Rights of the Child, the body of experts
charged with monitoring States'
implementation of the Convention. For more
information on the Committee, see the
Monitoring page in this section.
There are no specific right or wrong
implementation measures, however the
Convention should be the main benchmark and
inspiration for all government action. In its
reviews of States reports, the Committee urges
all levels of government to use the Convention
as a guide in policy-making and legislation, to:
Develop a comprehensive national
agenda;

Develop permanent bodies or

mechanisms to promote coordination,
monitoring and evaluation of
activities throughout all sectors of
government;

Ensure that all legislation is fully

compatible with the Convention and,
if applicable the Optional Protocols,
by incorporating the provisions into
domestic law or ensuring that they
take precedence in cases of conflict
with national legislation;

Make children visible in policy

development processes throughout
government by introducing child
impact assessments;

Analyse government spending to

determine the portion of public funds
spent on children and to ensure that
these resources are being used
effectively;

Ensure that sufficient data are

collected and used to improve the
situation of all children in each
jurisdiction;

Raise awareness and disseminate

information on the Convention and
the Optional Protocols by providing
training to all those involved in
government policy-making and
working with or for children;

Involve civil society b including

children themselves in the process
of implementing and raising
awareness of child rights; and

Set up independent national offices

ombudspersons, commissions, focal
points within national human rights
institutions, or other institutionsto
promote and protect children's rights.

States parties to the Conventions Optional

Protocols have many of the same guidelines,
and also requirements specific to the Protocols.
For example, States parties to the Optional
Protocol on the involvement of children in
armed conflict must also undertake measures
to ensure that individuals under the age of 18
do not take a direct part in armed conflicts.
This obligation applies to measures involving
16-18 year old members of the armed forces. It
also applies to legal measures to prohibit
independent armed groups from recruiting and
using children under the age of 18 in conflicts.
The Optional Protocol on the sale of children,
child prostitution and child pornography
requires States to provide legal and other
support services to child victims and

specifically calls for international cooperation

to prevent and punish these abuses.
Monitoring the fulfilment of States
obligations
The Committee on the Rights of the Child
Governments that ratify the Convention on the
Rights of the Child or one of its Optional
Protocols must report to the Committee on the
Rights of the Child. The Committee is made up
of 18 experts in the field of children's rights
from different countries and legal systems.
They are nominated and elected by States
parties but act in a personal capacity, not as
representatives of their countries.
Reports to the Committee on the situation of
children's rights in their country are submitted
by the State within two years of ratification
and every five years thereafter. The Committee
has adopted guidelines detailing which
information States are expected to give in their
implementation reports for the Convention and
each of the Optional Protocols.
In reviewing States' reports, the Committee
looks at how well governments are setting and
meeting the standards for the realization and
protection of children's rights as outlined in the
Convention or Optional Protocol. The
Committee does not monitor the behaviour of
individual parents and other caregivers and it is
not empowered to receive complaints from
citizens. Along with this regular reporting, the
Commitee may request additional information
or complementary reports.
The involvement of non-governmental
organizations
Non-governmental organizations also play a
major role in raising public awareness about
the Convention and its goals. The Convention
acknowledges these contributions by
specifically inviting their participation in the
reporting and monitoring process, a first
among human rights treaties. Governments are
urged to involve all sectors of society in the
preparation of reports. While a few consult
non-governmental organizations extensively in
the reporting process and incorporate their
contributions into reports to the Committee,
individual non-governmental organizations or
coalitions can and do prepare alternative
reports for the Committee's consideration. For
more information on the work nongovernmental organizations undertake, see the
'Organizations' page of What you can do on
the left menu.
UNICEF's role in the monitoring process
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is
the first human rights treaty that grants a role

in its implementation to a specialized United

Nations agencyUNICEF. Under the
Convention, UNICEF has a legal obligation to
promote and protect child rights by supporting
the work of the Committee on the Rights of the
Child. 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. For more information on
UNICEFs monitoring role, see UNICEF in
Action in the left menu.
Advancing the CRC
Advancing the CRC
Optional protocols complement and add to
existing treaties. They are optional because
the obligations may be more demanding than
those in the original convention, so States must
independently choose whether or not to be
bound by them. Optional protocols are treaties
in their own right, and are open to signature,
accession, or ratification by States that are
party to the main treaty.
A protocol may be on any topic relevant to the
original treaty and is used either to further
address something in the original treaty,
address a new or emerging concern or add a
procedure for the operation and enforcement of
the treaty.
To help stem the growing abuse and
exploitation of children worldwide, the United
Nations General Assembly in 2000 adopted
two Optional Protocols to the Convention on
the Rights of the Child to increase the
protection of children from involvement in
armed conflicts and from sexual exploitation.
On 14 April 2014, a third Optional Protocol
was adopted, allowing children to bring
complaints directly to the Committee on the
Rights of the Child. The Committee will then
investigate the claims and can direct
governments to take action.
Protecting children in armed conflict
The Optional Protocol is an effort to strengthen
implementation of the Convention and increase
the protection of children during armed
conflicts.
Under the Protocol, States are required to take
all feasible measures to ensure that members
of their armed forces under the age of 18 do
not take a direct part in hostilities. States must
also raise the minimum age for voluntary
recruitment into the armed forces from 15

years but does not require a minimum age of

18.
The Protocol does, however, remind States that
children under 18 are entitled to special
protection and so any voluntary recruitment
under the age of 18 must include sufficient
safeguards. It further bans compulsory
recruitment below the age of 18. States parties
must also take legal measures to prohibit
independent armed groups from recruiting and
using children under the age of 18 in conflicts.
Protecting children from commercial sexual
exploitation
The Optional Protocol on the sale of children,
child prostitution and child pornography draws
special attention to the criminalization of these
serious violations of children's rights and
emphasizes the importance of increased public
awareness and international cooperation in
efforts to combat them.
It supplements the Convention by providing
States with detailed requirements to end the
sexual exploitation and abuse of children and
also protects children from being sold for nonsexual purposessuch as other forms of
forced labour, illegal adoption and organ
donation.
The Protocol provides definitions for the
offences of sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography. It also
creates obligations on governments to
criminalize and punish activities related to
these offences. It requires punishment not only
for those offering or delivering children for the
purposes of sexual exploitation, transfer of
organs or children for profit or forced labour,
but also for anyone accepting the child for
these activities.
The Protocol also protects the rights and
interests of child victims. Governments must
provide legal and other support services to
child victims. This obligation includes
considering the best interests of the child in
any interactions with the criminal justice
system. Children must also be supported with
necessary medical, psychological, logistical
and financial support to aid their rehabilitation
and reintegration. As a complement to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child,
interpretation of the Optional Protocols text
must always be guided by the principles of
non-discrimination, best interests of the child
and child participation.

Allowing children to submit complaints,

appeals and petitions
This Protocol allows the Committee on the
Rights of the Child to hear complaints that a
childs rights have been violated. Children
from countries that ratify the Protocol can use
the treaty to seek justice if the national legal
system has not been able to provide a remedy
for the violation.
The Committee is able to hear complaints from
children, groups of children or their
representatives against any State that has
ratified the Protocol. The Committee is also
able to launch investigations into grave or
systematic violations of childrens rights and
States are able to bring complaints against each
other, if they accepted this procedure.

All children have one thing in common

their rights.
Twenty-five years ago, the world made a
promise to all its children. When leaders
adopted the Convention on the Rights of the
Child they committed to do everything in their
power to promote and protect childrens rights.
Great progress has been achieved since the
Convention was adopted. However, looking
back on 25 years of progress reminds us what
is still left to do
Far fewer children now die before their fifth
birthdays than 25 years ago. But in 2012, some
6.6 million children under 5 years of age died,
mostly from preventable causes, depriving
them of their fundamental right to survive and
develop.
Every child has the right to an education, and
more children are now realizing that right but
57 million girls and boys of primary age are
still out of school.
Even where progress is being made, too often
the shape of childrens lives is determined by
where they are born, how much money their
family makes, or what social or ethnic group
they belong to.
The vision of the Convention can only be
achieved if all childrens rights are realized,
including the most disadvantaged. No child
can be left behind.
This demands innovative solutions, creative
ideas and fresh thinking.
New ideas and approaches including
innovative services, products, processes and
systems are critical to closing the gaps that
prevent so many children from realizing their
rights. Innovation means being willing to do
things differently and try new ideas, keeping

the ones that work and learning from the ones

that dont.
Innovation is part of UNICEFs history. For
over six decades, UNICEF has been convening
development agencies, academia, industry,
children and their communities to create
solutions that transform lives.
Innovation can come in many forms, from
finding inventive ways for girls to get to
school, to developing ready-to-use therapeutic
food to treat severe acute malnutrition, long
lasting insecticidal bed nets to prevent the
spread of malaria, and RapidSMS, a free,
open-source framework for dynamic data
collection, logistics coordination and
communication using basic mobile phone
technology.
When children fail to thrive and fulfill their
potential as they grow into adulthood, it is not
only these children but all of us who suffer the
consequences. Their well-being is a direct
reflection of the well-being of society as a
whole.
To kick off a series of global events on
innovation, UNICEF Uganda puts the spotlight
on innovations that help children from prebirth to adulthood.
Protect Children's Human Rights
On November 20, 1989, the United Nations
General Assembly adopted the Convention on
the Rights of the Child, a landmark for human
rights. Here for the first time was a treaty that
sought to address the particular needs of
children and to set minimum standards for the
protection of their rights. It is the first
international treaty to guarantee civil and
political rights as well as economic, social,
and cultural rights.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is
the most widely accepted human rights treaty of all the United Nations member states, only
the United States and Somalia have not
ratified it.
One of the Convention's key strengths is that it
recognizes that rights must be actively
promoted if they are going to be enforced -awareness isn't enough. Children's rights
activists have a powerful tool for campaigning
for the protection of children's human rights in
the almost worldwide acceptance of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Philippines and the Convention on the

Rights of the Child
This page provides information relating to the
forthcoming consideration, in September 2009,
by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in
Geneva of the Philippines records on
implementing the Convention on the Rights of
the Child since its last analysis in 2005.
What is the Convention on the Rights of the
Child?
The Convention was adopted on 20 November
1989 by the UN General Assembly and
consists of a preamble and 54 articles. It
defines child as any human being below 18
years old, for the purposes of the convention.
The Convention also establishes that [i]n all
actions concerning children, whether
undertaken by public or private social welfare
institutions, courts of law, administrative
authorities or legislative bodies, the best
interests of the child shall be a primary
consideration, pledging the rights be
respected ...without discrimination of any
kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her
parent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex,
language, religion, political or other opinion,
national, ethnic or social origin, property,
disability, birth or other status.
What does the Convention mean for the
Philippines?
By accepting the Convention, the State
committed itself to undertake all
appropriate measures to ensure that the child is
protected against all forms of discrimination or
punishment on the basis of the status,
activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the
child's parents, legal guardians, or family
members. Moreover, with the ratification, the
country was entrusted with the mission to
undertake all appropriate legislative,
administrative, and other measures for the
implementation of the rights recognized in the
[] Convention. With regard to economic,
social and cultural rights, [the Philippines]
shall undertake such measures to the maximum
extent of their available resources and, where
needed, within the framework of international
co-operation.
Committee on the Rights of the Child
The Committee on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) is the body of independent experts that
monitors implementation of the Convention on
the Rights of the Child by its State parties. It
also monitors implementation of two optional
protocols to the Convention, on involvement of
children in armed conflict and on sale of
children, child prostitution and child
pornography (and the Philippines ratified
both).
What is treaty reporting?

All States parties are obliged to submit regular

reports to the Committee on how the rights are
being implemented. States must report initially
two years after acceding to the Convention and
then every five years. The Committee
examines each report and addresses its
concerns and recommendations to the State
party in the form of concluding observations.
The Committee reviews additional reports
which must be submitted by States who have
acceded to the two Optional Protocols to the
Convention.
The Committee cannot consider individual
complaints, although child rights may be raised
before other committees with competence to
consider individual complaints.
The Committee meets in Geneva and normally
holds three sessions per year consisting of a
three-week plenary and a one-week presessional working group. In 2006, the
Committee considered reports in two parallel
chambers of 9 members each, "as an
exceptional and temporary measure", in order
to clear the backlog of reports.
The Committee also publishes its interpretation
of the content of human rights provisions,
known as general comments on thematic issues
and organizes days of general discussion.
For more information about the work of the
Committee on the Rights of the Child, click
here.
The Philippines reporting under the
Convention
Reporting to the Committee is an opportunity
for the governments of the Philippines to
present the steps it has taken to develop the
country for the benefit of their citizens,
particularly children, and to seek advice from
the Committees experts on areas where more
progress is required.
PHILIPPINES
The initial report from the Philippines was due
on 19 September 1992, and the Committee
received it on 21 September 1993. The last
report was due on 19 September 2007, and it
was submitted on 18 January 2008.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child has
decided that it will consider the situation in the
Philippines at its fifty-second session in
September-October 2009. It has requested the
Philippines to submit the 3rd and 4th report by
September 2007 in a combined report.
See:
Report

List of issues

Responses

Can NGOs and other civil society

representatives participate in the process?
Under article 45(a) of the Convention, the
Committee on the Rights of the Child may
invite specialized agencies, UNICEF, and
other competent bodies to provide expert
advice on the implementation of the
Convention. The term other competent
bodies includes non-governmental
organizations. This Convention expressly gives
NGOs a role in monitoring its implementation.
The Committee has systematically encouraged

NGOs to submit reports, documentation or

other information in order to provide it with a
comprehensive picture of how the Convention
is being implemented in a particular country.
The Committee welcomes written information
from international, regional, national and local
organizations. Individual NGOs or national
coalitions or networks of NGOs may submit
information on the implementation of the
Convention, as well as the Optional Protocols.