Everyone has human rights, but children and young people also have children's rights. Children are entitled to additional rights to give them the protection they need while they grow towards adulthood and independence.
Children’s rights refer to the rights set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC is a convention or agreement between 196 countries around the world. It is about what children need to grow up happy, healthy and safe. It also seeks to ensure their views are taken into account in decisions that affect them.
All children and young people in the UK are entitled to children’s rights from the moment they are born until they are 18 years old. This is called being a rights holder.
They include four main areas of rights:
- The right to survival, including the right to healthcare services (Article 24) and the right to an adequate standard of living (Article 27)
- The right to protection, including 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, including the right to education (Article 28) and the right to access information (Article 17)
- The right to participation, including the right to be heard (Article 12) and the right to join groups and organisations (Article 15)
Public authorities, such as Cornwall Council, are duty bearers of the UNCRC. This means they must do all they can to implement the Convention and uphold children's rights.