Rights of the child
What is a right?
It is a moral claim to a specific standard of treatment that others must obey and respect.
What is a convention?
A convention is a legal document that protects (and affirms) important social values. It is a source of international law that states agree to abide by and enforce.
What is the Convention on the Rights of the Child?
The 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a legal document that sets out a comprehensive series of rights - social, economic, cultural, and political - to which all children are entitled. It is an international law that protects children's right to enjoy an adequate standard of living, receive an education, express their opinion, live free from violence and discrimination, and benefit from rest, leisure, and play.
193 out of 195 countries have ‘ratified' (or agreed to respect and promote) the long list of rights it contains. This means that these states are duty bound to help children realize their rights and achieve their fullest potential (Article 12).
How does it work?
After a state signs and ratifies the CRC, it is required to submit an initial report to a small group of independent experts, known as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (Article 43). The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is tasked with monitoring and evaluating State Parties' progress towards (and commitment to) the obligations enumerated in the Convention.
Members of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child meet throughout the year to question (and advise) State Parties on their compliance with CRC standards. They consider state reports and ‘alternative' reports submitted by NGOs and National Children's Commissioners. The ‘concluding observations' generated by the Committee at these meetings are used to clarify aspects of the law, publicize best practices, and condemn abuses.
How does the CRC apply to children in street situations?
Children in street situations are especially vulnerable to violence and abuse. They are denied access to education and excluded from healthcare systems. Understanding the daily injustices they face as violations of international human rights law recognizes that children in street situations are: (1) human beings and, (2) rights holders entitled to state protection.
The CRC confirms that children in any situation - whether in a war zone, on the streets, or in a country like the UK - have the same rights. It is a catalyst for change in practice and belief.
How does Street Child Africa use the CRC?
Street Child Africa is committed to a child-rights approach to service delivery, capacity building, and advocacy. It believes that the way the rights in the CRC are achieved is just as important as achieving the rights themselves. In recognition of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the CRC, Street Child Africa has launched an online petition for equal access to education for children in street situations and challenged its partner organizations to mainstream the five umbrella rights of the CRC - right to life, survival and development (Article 6), best interests of the child (Article 3.1), non-discrimination (Article 2), participation (Article 12), and implementation (Article 4) - into their daily work. Going forward, Street Child Africa will use the CRC to pressure governments, expose abuse, and strengthen the short-, medium and long-term impact of its partners' work.
