UN experts urge real dialogue with children about their rights

Call comes for 25th anniversary of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

GENEVA (23 September 2014) – The challenges of today’s world make it more necessary than ever to consult with children about their rights and involve them meaningfully in decisions that may affect their lives, UN child rights experts have said in a call to mark the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“There has been significant progress regarding children’s rights in the past quarter of a century but too many children still suffer violence, exploitation and neglect, and too many are denied the right to health or a decent education,” said Kirsten Sandberg of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which reviews how countries that have promised to implement the Convention actually do so.

“Children need to be part of the search for solutions to the many problems our world faces,” said Ms. Sandberg, who chairs the Committee composed of 18 independent human rights experts.  The rights of all children, including the most marginalised and vulnerable, need to be respected, she added.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child has the biggest international support of any human rights treaty, having been ratified to date by 194 countries. The Convention, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1989, stipulates that children’s rights include the right to life, to health, to education and to play. They also have the right to family life, to be protected from violence, to not be discriminated against and to have their views heard.

“Those who were children in 1989 faced a world where climate change was not a pressing concern and digital information technology touched relatively few lives,” said Ms. Sandberg. “Today’s young generation is growing up in a world where climate change is evident.  New technologies are changing children’s lives dramatically, bringing opportunities for them to learn, to be engaged and to socialise, but also posing new challenges,” she added.

“Given today’s realities, we are calling on governments to make renewed efforts to ensure children’s views are heard and taken into account,” said Ms. Sandberg.

As part of the Committee’s efforts to engage with children, on Wednesday 24 September members will hold Google+ Hangouts with young people in 14 countries to discuss what matters to them regarding their rights.  These online conversations are scheduled to reach children in different time zones, with two Hangouts in English, one in Arabic and one in Spanish. More details here:

https://plus.google.com/events/c6gkj3n3gf7nk07eveljd6av6qo

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/CRC25thAnniversary.aspx

The UN General Assembly has convened a high-level meeting in New York for the anniversary date of 20 November to take stock of progress since 1989 and  examine the main challenges that remain in realising the rights of children. A key part of the day will be discussions involving representatives of governments and civil society and, crucially, children,  to look at the best ways of meeting those challenges.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell - +41 (0) 22 917 9466 / ethrossell@ohchr.org

To arrange an interview with a Committee member, please contact Allegra Franchetti  - +41 (0) 22 917 9340/ afranchetti@ohchr.org)

BACKGROUND:

More information about the Committee on the Rights of the Child: 
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/index.htm

As well as the Convention, there are three other treaties that cover specific issues relating to children’s rights. These are known as Optional Protocols. One is on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/OPSCCRC.aspx
This has been ratified by 168 states to date.

Another is on the involvement of children in armed conflict – so far ratified by 156 states.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/OPACCRC.aspx.

The most recent is the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure. This gives children who have exhausted all legal avenues in their own countries the possibility of applying to the Committee. To date, 11 countries have ratified this.
http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N11/467/10/PDF/N1146710.pdf?OpenElement

UN Human Rights, follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights
Twitter: http://twitter.com/UNrightswire
Google+ gplus.to/unitednationshumanrights   
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UNOHCHR
Storify:    http://storify.com/UNrightswire