'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 16 December 1991.
Children and young people have the same general human rights as adults. They also have specific rights that recognise their unique needs as they grow and develop. The UNCRC details the rights needed for children to develop to their full potential.
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.
Adults and governments must work together to help all children access their rights. There are twelve more articles which describe these responsibilities.
Find more information on the UNICEF website
The Convention considers every child as an individual and as a member of a family and community. It sets out the rights that they have and the responsibilities that adults have for them. It 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. Its job is to oversee the governments of the countries which have signed the convention. It checks that they are doing what they promised when they signed the agreement.
Find out more about the 'Convention on the Rights of the Child'The UN Committee is made up of 18 independent experts from a range of countries. They meet several times a year and look at reports from the different countries that have signed the convention. Many of the countries still have improvements to make. The Committee is in charge of making sure that they are getting better, and making progress.