Children rights are the legal obligations governments and others have to respect children. These rights are set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which all countries must agree to uphold. The CRC aims to ensure that children have a minimum standard of living. This includes the right to food, water, shelter and education. It also includes the right to health and safety, including protection from violence. These rights are necessary for the physical, psychological and moral development of children.
These rights are not absolute, but they do imply that governments and others have a duty to protect children from harm and to make reasonable efforts to secure their welfare. This means that they must try to prevent the kinds of harm described in articles 3 to 8 of the CRC:
The Convention also lays down rules on how these rights are to be applied. For example, a government must not discriminate against any child. This is because children are the most vulnerable members of society, and discrimination against them can have a serious adverse impact on their well-being. It must also avoid separating parents from their children unless there is a strong reason for doing so. This is because it can have a damaging effect on the mental and physical development of the children involved.
Moreover, the Convention says that all countries should make it easy for parents to take their children with them when they move abroad. It also recommends that countries allow parents and children to stay in contact with one another even if the parents are divorced. It also recommends that the national authorities recognise and record children’s births, and keep official records of their identity, including a name, date of birth and family relations. If the records are damaged or destroyed, the authorities must help children to obtain new ones.
Children have the right to freely express their views and opinions on any issue that affects them, either orally or in writing. They should be allowed to join organisations and meet with other people, as long as this does not harm other individuals or groups. They also have the right to freely choose their religion and beliefs.
Finally, the Convention says that children have a right to receive an education appropriate to their age and level of maturity. This includes the right to a free primary education, and it also covers secondary and higher education. It also includes the right to rest and leisure, and the right to participate in cultural life.
In many parts of the world, the basic rights that are guaranteed by the Convention are not being met. For instance, millions of children are denied adequate access to healthcare and quality education. They are also subjected to neglect, abuse and violence. Millions of childhoods are cut short because children must leave school to work, run away from home to escape poverty and disasters, or be recruited into armed conflict and wars.