Children are the world’s most vulnerable and have a unique capacity for growth and learning, but only if they are safe. They need adults to protect them from violence, poverty, hunger and disease and to help them reach their full potential. Yet too often children are left unprotected and unable to meet their basic needs. International agreements on children rights – such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – are designed to address these challenges and bring about change.

The CRC sets out a framework for governments to give priority to children in all decisions that affect them, establish governance processes that include children and translate the convention’s rights into law and ensure that laws, policies and services reflect and take into account the views of children. It also encourages states to develop and implement policies that promote the well-being of all children, including a basic minimum standard of living, health, education and protection.

There are more children in need of humanitarian assistance than ever before, as a result of conflict and disasters – both man-made and natural. These crises are exacerbated by climate change and make it even more challenging to guarantee the rights of children.

Many countries are struggling to fulfil their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was signed in 1990 and has 196 signatory countries as of now. Millions of children still do not have adequate access to food, shelter, education or health care. Their childhoods are often cut short as they flee violence, do hazardous work or get recruited into armed conflicts. In some countries, children are denied a right to their national identity, and many have been deprived of the ability to pass on their family’s history and culture.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child focuses on the universal principles of the dignity and worth of the human person, which apply to all children at every stage of life. It recognizes that every child has the right to a name, a nationality, an identity document, information about family relations, freedom of expression and thought, privacy and a healthy environment.

The rights set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child are a fundamental human right – and the responsibility of all adults to ensure that these rights are respected. The rights outlined in the Convention can be achieved through good parenting and constructive child rearing practices, promoting an education that is relevant to the needs of all children, providing quality healthcare and creating an environment that supports healthy physical, mental and emotional development. It is also important to protect children from abuse, including sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. This includes people who force them to perform sexual acts, and from people who publish or sell pictures or films of children without their permission. It also extends to the safety and security of their homes, schools and places where they work.