1. Frequently asked questions about the children’s rights convention

What is it about?

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty on human rights that regulates the rights of young people. It was adopted in 1989 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The Convention consists of 41 ar­ticles on the rights of young people, one article on public awareness and education, and twelve art­icles on how the Convention is monitored, rati­fied and put into force. The Convention on the rights of the Child was adopted by more countries than any other international human rights treaty. By Decem­ber 2008, 193 countries had signed and ratified the Convention.

What is a child according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child?

By “child”, the UN means all young people under the age of 18 years, unless the age of majority (i.e. the age at which a person is legally recognized as an adult) is attained prior to this. This is noted in the first article of the Convention.

How does the Convention work?

The Convention is not a national law. However, the principles of the Convention must be reflected in the national legislation, in the political activity and programs of the various states. Governments must also submit regular reports to the United Nations about their progress in implementing the Conven­tion. This system of reporting puts governments under pressure to really respect the rights of young people.

Does the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child really make a difference to our lives?

With the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, governments obligate them­selves to respect the rights of people under 18 years of age, to allow them to participate in deci­sions that affect them, to secure their survival and to protect them from harm. Article 4 states that governments must advocate our economic, social and cultural rights “to the maximum extent of their available resources”. Only if and when we know and understand what is written in the Convention can we work towards upholding it to guarantee that these rights determine how young people are treated.