20 November is a day of celebration for all the children in the world. It was on that day in 1989 that the UN adopted the CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD.
It is also known as the CHILD RIGHTS CONVENTION and applies to you and all other children under 18. All the world’s countries except for Somalia and the USA have ratified (pledged to follow) the Child Convention. This means they are obliged to take children’s rights into consideration and to listen to what children have to say.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child consists of 54 articles. The basic principles of the Convention are that:
• All children are equal and have the same rights.
• Every child has the right to have his or her basic needs fulfilled.
• Every child has the right to protection from abuse and exploitation.
• Every child has the right to express his or her opinion and to be respected.
> What does the Child Convention actually say?
We are helping countries to fulfil the Child Convention
Countries that have ratified the UN Child Convention have committed to regularly informing their citizens on the rights of the child.
The World’s Children’s Prize helps countries to be able to fulfil this commitment to children, their teachers and parents, and the country’s media. It is the only regular programme for implementation of the UN Child Convention in schools all over the world.
Doris learns about her rights!
– We children have the right to education. Without education you are nobody, says Doris from Ghana to all her young friends.
