Children's rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development embodies the highest aspirations for a bright future for the world's children, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a crucial opportunity to realize their rights in all countries. Fulfilling children's rights by reaching those who are the furthest behind is a prerequisite for achieving the 2030 Agenda overall.

Despite near-universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, millions of children around the world continue to be left behind and their rights denied, particularly those who are the most discriminated against or living in precarious situations of vulnerability – such as children on the streets, in institutions or in migration situations. Children also suffer the impacts of poverty, violence, inequality and exclusion disproportionately, due to their sensitive phase of life and development.

No child left behind

An approach to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in which children's rights and wellbeing are placed front and center is not only a human rights imperative, but can catalyse sustainable development by breaking down the transfer of poverty and exclusion from one generation to the next. As such, progress can be accelerated by prioritizing children's rights in action plans on the SDGs, as a child rights-based approach multiplies future development gains.

In March 2017, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 31/7, the High Commissioner for Human Rights presented a report to the Human Rights Council on the protection of the rights of the child in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Child rights reports to global reviews of progress on the SDGs

In March 2017, the annual full-day meeting during the 34^th session of the Human Rights Council explored how the 2030 Agenda can advance children's rights. A summary report of discussions can be found here. In 2018, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was requested in resolution 37/20 to provide inputs on this matter to the global reviews of progress taking place under the High-Level Political Forum, in broad consultation with stakeholders. These inputs highlight the human rights risks and challenges that children face in the theme and goals under review each year, as well as good practices that can be applied at national level to leave no child behind.

The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is the global body tasked with reviewing progress on the SDGs and is convened annually in New York under the UN Economic and Social Council. It conducts a review of progress and challenges on the basis of Voluntary National Reviews and extensive stakeholder inputs, focusing on a different theme and set of goals each year. 

In 2017, the Forum focused on the overarching theme of "Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world." The child rights inputs can be found at the following link.

In 2019 the High-Level Political Forum undertook its review on the theme of "empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality". The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights submitted a child rights inputs paper to the HLPF, based on broad consultation, including with children.

The 2020 theme for the High-Level Political Forum was "Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development." The child rights inputs can be found at the following link.

The 2021 review theme for the High-Level Political Forum was: "Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: building an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development". The child rights inputs can be found at the following link.

The 2022 review theme for the High-Level Political Forum was: "Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". The child rights inputs can be found at the following link.

The 2024 review theme for the High-Level Political Forum was: "Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions". The child rights inputs can be found at the following link.

Further information

• CALL FOR INPUT - UN Human Rights Office Report on Child Rights & SDGs: "Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic"
  English | Français | Español [PDF]
  English | Français | Español [Word]
• Visual brief on Children's Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals – OHCHR in partnership with UNICEF
• A Human Rights-based Approach to Data on SDGs to leave no one behind – OHCHR

External links

• High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
• World's Largest Lesson – A UNESCO/UNICEF initiative to inform children and young people about the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Mapping of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development and the Convention on the Rights of the Child – UNICEF
• Progress for Every Child – UNICEF Data monitoring the situation of children
• Legal database on children's rights – Child Rights International Network (CRIN)
• Database on human rights recommendations and SDGs – Danish Institute of Human Rights (data can be searched by "children" as a right-holder group)