In
the
past, children were all too often viewed more as property than
people. Many victories for children's rights have been won in
the last 100 years, such as child labor laws, protecting children
from having to work long hours in unsafe conditions; public
education, allowing all children to have access to learning;
and laws preventing child abuse. On November 20, 1959, the United
Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child spelling
out specific rights to which all children should be entitled,
and on the same date in 1989 the UN adopted the Convention on
the Rights of the Child, creating a legally binding agreement
on rights for children.
The
Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified faster and
by more member nations than any other international human rights
treaty. 192 countries have agreed and only 2 have refused -
the United States and Somalia. The Convention details the rights
of all children (under 18), ranging from protection from abuse
and exploitation, to the rights to education and health services,
and the right to participate in decisions that affect their
lives.
There
is still much to do in protecting children's rights around the
world. 40 million children below the age of 15 suffer from abuse
and neglect; 180 million children are forced to work in the
worst child labor conditions, 300,000 children are forced to
be soldiers and over 1.2 million children are trafficked as
prostitutes.
In
2000, world leaders agreed to reach specific targets to 8 Millennium
Development Goals by 2015. The goals range from providing universal
primary education, to stopping the spread of HIV and eliminating
poverty. 6 of these goals relate directly to children.
Universal
Children's Day is celebrated on November 20 to commemorate the
adoption of the Declaration and Convention on the Rights of
the Child. It is a day to show children that they are valued
members of society, and remind us that children need love and
respect to grow to their full potential. It is an opportunity
to increase awareness about the Convention on the Rights of
the Child and to remind governments to live up to their promises
to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
| "There
is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with
children. There is no duty more important than ensuring
that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected,
that their lives are free from fear and want and that they
can grow up in peace." -- Kofi Annan |
