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.
