'The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the most complete statement of children’s rights ever produced.' It is also the most widely ratified (or officially approved) international human rights treaty in history. 196 countries have ratified it, including the United Kingdom on 16th December 1991.
The UNCRC contains 42 articles that cover all aspects of a child’s life. These set out the rights that all children everywhere are entitled to.
They include four main pillars (areas of rights):
- The right to survival. Includes the right to healthcare services (Article 24) and the right to an adequate standard of living (Article 27)
- The right to protection. Includes the right to be protected from harm (Article 19) and the right to be protected from illegal drug use (Article 33)
- The right to development. Includes the right to education (Article 28) and the right to access information (Article 17)
- The right to participation. Includes the right to be heard (Article 12) and the right to join groups and organisations (Article 15)
Adults and governments must work together to help all children access their rights. Twelve further articles describe these responsibilities.
You can find all the rights in this document:
View the summary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Children and young people have the same general human rights as adults. They also have specific rights that recognise their special needs as they grow and develop. The UNCRC details the rights needed for children to develop to their full potential.
The Convention considers every child as an individual and as a member of a family and community. It set out rights and responsibilities and recognises that children may need more or less adult support with their rights depending on their age and development (evolving capacity).
Four General Principles
There are four General Principles of the UNCRC which underpin all the other rights being put into practice They are:
Article 2 | Non-discrimination
Everyone under the age of 18 has all the rights in the Convention
Article 3 | Best interests of the child
Must be a top priority in all decisions and actions that affect children
Article 6 | Life survival and development
Every child has the right to life. Governments must do all they can to ensure that children survive and develop to their full potential
Article 12 | Respect for the views of the child
Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is a United Nations (UN) body which monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its Optional Protocols by States parties to the Convention. The UN Committee is made up of 18 independent experts from a range of countries. The UN Committee holds regular sessions every year to review reports by the States Parties on their progress in fulfilling their obligations under the UNCRC.