The Declaration of the Rights of the Child from 1924 is one of the important documents developed with the assistance of the United Nations. It was the first occasion in history when children's rights were recognized under international law.
1.
The child that is hungry must be fed,
the child that is sick must be nursed, the child that is backward must be
helped, the delinquent child must be reclaimed, and the orphan and the waif
must be sheltered and succored.
2.
The child must be the first to
receive relief in times of distress.
3.
The child must be put in a position
to earn a livelihood, and must be protected against every form of exploitation.
4.
The child must be brought up in the
consciousness that its talents must be devoted to the service of its fellow
men.
In
1959, the United Nations General Assembly decided on ten principles for the
declaration of children's rights. These ten principles are contained in this
declaration (2):
1.
The right to equality, without
distinction on account of race, religion or national origin.
2.
The right to special protection for
the child’s physical, mental and social development.
3.
The right to a name and a
nationality.
4.
The right to adequate nutrition,
housing and medical services.
5.
The right to special education and
treatment when a child is physically or mentally handicapped.
6.
The right to understanding and love
by parents and society.
7.
The right to recreational activities
and free education.
8.
The right to be among the first to
receive relief in all circumstances.
9.
The right to protection against all
forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation.
10.The
right to be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship
among peoples, and universal brotherhood.
The UN
General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 in
1989, and it was ratified by most of the member states with no votes against
it. The Convention was adopted and opened for signature, ratification and
accession by the United Nations General Assembly through resolution 44/25 on
November 20, 1989. It came into force on September 2, 1990. As stated in
Article 1, a child is defined as any human being under eighteen.
The CRC
holds binding forces. It is a remarkable departure in field of Rights of the
Child. In the CRC, the rights and responsibilities of the children have been
clearly outlined, including survival, development, protection, and
participation, as well as obligations to parents and families.
Four
main principles
1.
Non-discrimination (article 2): All
children have rights, regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property,
disability, birth or other status.
2.
Devotion to the best interests of the
child (article 3): The child’s best interests must be a primary consideration
in all decisions affecting her or him.
3.
The right to life, survival and
development (article 6): All children have a right to life, and to survive and
develop – physically, mentally, spiritually, morally, psychologically and
socially – to their full potential.
4. Respect for the views of the child (article 12): Children have the right to express themselves freely on matters that affect them, and to have their views taken seriously.
