Introduction

The Convention on the Rights of the Child was the first instrument to incorporate the
complete range of international human rights including civil, cultural, economic,
political and social rights as well as aspects of humanitarian law.

The articles of the Convention may be grouped into four categories of rights and a set of
guiding principles. By clicking on any of the categories below, you can link to a plain-
language explanation of the applicable articles in the Convention. Additional provisions
of the Convention (articles 43 to 54) discuss implementation measures for the
Convention, explaining how governments and international organizations like UNICEF
will work to ensure children are protected in their rights. You can see the full text of the
Convention by clicking on the link in the box on the right.

Guiding principles: The guiding principles of the Convention include non-

discrimination; adherence to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and
development; and the right to participate. They represent the underlying requirements for
any and all rights to be realized.

Survival and development rights: These are rights to the resources, skills and
contributions necessary for the survival and full development of the child. They include
rights to adequate food, shelter, clean water, formal education, primary health care,
leisure and recreation, cultural activities and information about their rights. These rights
require not only the existence of the means to fulfil the rights but also access to them.
Specific articles address the needs of child refugees, children with disabilities and
children of minority or indigenous groups.

Protection rights: These rights include protection from all forms of child abuse, neglect,
exploitation and cruelty, including the right to special protection in times of war and
protection from abuse in the criminal justice system.

Participation rights: Children are entitled to the freedom to express opinions and to
have a say in matters affecting their social, economic, religious, cultural and political life.
Participation rights include the right to express opinions and be heard, the right to
information and freedom of association. Engaging these rights as they mature helps
children bring about the realization of all their rights and prepares them for an active role
in society.

The equality and interconnection of rights are stressed in the Convention. In addition to
governments obligations, children and parents are responsible for respecting the rights of
othersparticularly each other. Childrens understanding of rights will vary depending
on age and parents in particular should tailor the issues they discuss, the way in which
they answer questions and discipline methods to the age and maturity of the individual
child.

Children have rights as human beings and also need special care and protection.

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UNICEFs mission is to advocate for the protection of childrens rights, to help meet their
basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is
guided in doing this by the provisions and principles of the Convention on the Rights of
the Child.

Built on varied legal systems and cultural traditions, the Convention is a universally
agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations. These basic standardsalso
called human rightsset minimum entitlements and freedoms that should be respected
by governments. They are founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each
individual, regardless of race, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, origins,
wealth, birth status or ability and therefore apply to every human being everywhere. With
these rights comes the obligation on both governments and individuals not to infringe on
the parallel rights of others. These standards are both interdependent and indivisible; we
cannot ensure some rights withoutor at the expense ofother rights.

A legally binding instrument

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international
instrument to incorporate the full range of human rightscivil, cultural, economic,
political and social rights. In 1989, world leaders decided that children needed a special
convention just for them because people under 18 years old often need special care and
protection that adults do not. The leaders also wanted to make sure that the world
recognized that children have human rights too.

The Convention sets out these rights in 54 articles and two Optional Protocols. It spells
out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to
develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and
to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the
Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to
life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. Every right spelled
out in the Convention is inherent to the human dignity and harmonious development of
every child. The Convention protects children's rights by setting standards in health care;
education; and legal, civil and social services.

By agreeing to undertake the obligations of the Convention (by ratifying or acceding to

it), national governments have committed themselves to protecting and ensuring
children's rights and they have agreed to hold themselves accountable for this
commitment before the international community. States parties to the Convention are
obliged to develop and undertake all actions and policies in the light of the best interests
of the child.

Children's rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights
of special protection and care afforded to the young,[1] including their right to association
with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal
state-paid education, health care and criminal laws appropriate for the age and
development of the child.[2] Interpretations of children's rights range from allowing

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children the capacity for autonomous action to the enforcement of children being
physically, mentally and emotionally free from abuse, though what constitutes "abuse" is
a matter of debate. Other definitions include the rights to care and nurturing.[3]

"A child is any human being below the age of eighteen years, unless under the law
applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier."[4] According to Cornell University, a
child is a person, not a subperson, and the parent has absolute interest and possession of
the child, but this is very much an American view. The term "child" does not necessarily
mean minor but can include adult children as well as adult nondependent children.[5]
There are no definitions of other terms used to describe young people such as
"adolescents", "teenagers," or "youth" in international law,[6] but the children's rights
movement is considered distinct from the youth rights movement.

The field of children's rights spans the fields of law, politics, religion, and morality.

Historic definitions of children's rights

Consensus on defining children's rights has become clearer in the last fifty years. [12] A
1973 publication by Hillary Clinton (then an attorney) stated that children's rights were a
"slogan in need of a definition".[13] According to some researchers, the notion of
childrens rights is still not well defined, with at least one proposing that there is no
singularly accepted definition or theory of the rights held by children.[14]

Childrens rights law is defined as the point where the law intersects with a child's life.
That includes juvenile delinquency, due process for children involved in the criminal
justice system, appropriate representation, and effective rehabilitative services; care and
protection for children in state care; ensuring education for all children regardless of their
origin, race, gender, disabilities, or abilities, and; health care and advocacy. [15]

Difference between children's rights and youth rights

"In the majority of jurisdictions, for instance, children are not allowed to vote, to marry,
to buy alcohol, to have sex, or to engage in paid employment."[22] Within the youth rights
movement, it is believed that the key difference between children's rights and youth rights
is that children's rights supporters generally advocate the establishment and enforcement
of protection for children and youths, while youth rights (a far smaller movement)
generally advocates the expansion of freedom for children and/or youths and of rights
such as suffrage. Also, many people who support youth rights, are concerned with
adolescents and not children.

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Convention on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations' 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, or CRC, is the first
legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights
civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. Its implementation is monitored by
the Committee on the Rights of the Child. National governments that ratify it commit
themselves to protecting and ensuring children's rights, and agree to hold themselves
accountable for this commitment before the international community.[34] The CRC is the
most widely ratified human rights treaty with 190 ratifications. Somalia and the USA are
the only two countries which have not ratified the CRC. The CRC is based on four core
principles,[35] namely the principle of non discrimination, the best interests of the child,
the right to life, survival and development, and considering the views of the child in
decisions which affect them (according to their age and maturity). The CRC, along with
international criminal accountability mechanisms such as the International Criminal
Court, the Yugoslavia Tribunal|Yugoslavia and Rwanda Tribunals, and the Special Court
for Sierra Leone, is said to have significantly increased the profile of children's rights
worldwide.[36]

Enforcement

A variety of enforcement organizations and mechanisms exist to ensure children's rights.

They include the Child Rights Caucus for the United Nations General Assembly Special
Session on Children. It was set up to promote full implementation and compliance with
the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and to ensure that child rights were given
priority during the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children and its Preparatory
process. The United Nations Human Rights Council was created "with the hope that it
could be more objective, credible and efficient in denouncing human rights violations
worldwide than the highly politicized Commission on Human Rights." The NGO Group
for the Convention on the Rights of the Child is a coalition of international non-
governmental organisations originally formed in 1983 to facilitate the implementation of
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Many countries around the world have children's rights ombudspeople or children's
commissioners whose official, governmental duty is to represent the interests of the
public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens
regarding children's rights. Children's ombudspeople can also work for a corporation, a
newspaper, an NGO, or even for the general public.

United States law

Children are generally afforded the basic rights embodied by the Constitution, as
enshrined by the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Equal
Protection Clause of that amendment is to apply to children, born within a marriage or
not, but excludes children not yet born.[5] This was reinforced by the landmark US
Supreme Court decision of In re Gault. In this trial 15-year-old Gerald Gault of Arizona
was taken into custody by local police after being accused of making an obscene
telephone call. He was detained and committed to the Arizona State Industrial School
until he reached the age of 21 for making an obscene phone call to an adult neighbor. In
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an 81 decision, the Court ruled that in hearings which could result in commitment to an
institution, people under the age of 18 have the right to notice and counsel, to question
witnesses, and to protection against self-incrimination. The Court found that the
procedures used in Gault's hearing met none of these requirements.[37]

There are other concerns in the United States regarding children's rights. The American
Academy of Adoption Attorneys is concerned with children's rights to a safe, supportive
and stable family structure. Their position on children's rights in adoption cases states
that, "children have a constitutionally based liberty interest in the protection of their
established families, rights which are at least equal to, and we believe outweigh, the
rights of others who would claim a 'possessory' interest in these children."[38] Other issues
raised in American children's rights advocacy include children's rights to inheritance in
same-sex marriages and particular rights for youth.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated as
the CRC, CROC, or UNCRC) is a human rights treaty setting out the civil, political,
economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The Convention generally defines
a child as any human being under the age of eighteen, unless an earlier age of majority is
recognized by a country's law.

Nations that ratify this convention are bound to it by international law. Compliance is
monitored by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child which is
composed of members from countries around the world. Once a year, the Committee
submits a report to the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, which
also hears a statement from the CRC Chair, and the Assembly adopts a Resolution on the
Rights of the Child.[4]

Governments of countries that have ratified the Convention are required to report to, and
appear before, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child periodically to
be examined on their progress with regards to the advancement of the implementation of
the Convention and the status of child rights in their country. Their reports and the
committee's written views and concerns are available on the committee's website.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention and opened it for
signature on 20 November 1989 (the 30th anniversary of its Declaration of the Rights of
the Child).[5] It came into force on 2 September 1990, after it was ratified by the required
number of nations. As of November 2009, 194 countries have ratified it,[1] including
every member of the United Nations except Somalia and the United States of America. [4]
[6]
Somalia's cabinet ministers have announced plans to ratify the treaty. [7]

Two optional protocols were adopted on 25 May 2000. The First Optional Protocol
restricts the involvement of children in military conflicts, and the Second Optional
Protocol prohibits the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Both
protocols have been ratified by more than 140 states.[8][9]

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Contents of the Convention

The following are the co ntents of the Convention:

Preamble: Recognises many of the principles outlines in the Declaration on the Rights of
the Child such as family as the best environment for a child to grow, the importance of
child protection, best interest of the child, recognising child participation, etc.

Article 1: According to the convention a child is any person how has not reached the age
of eighteen unless a different age of maturity is specified in any country's law.

Article2: It is the duty of the state (each country) to uphold the articles in the convention
and apply it to all children regardless of the child's or the family's race, colour, sex,
language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property,
disability, birth or other status. The state should protect the child against all forms of
discrimination.

Article 3: the state will always act in the best interest of the child while taking into
consideration the rights and duties of the guardians. The state shall ensure all institutions
government or not adhere to this dictum.

Article 4: The state must make laws, implement policies and programmes and undertake
other measures to unsure the rights set out in the convention are fulfilled.

Article 5: The state will keep in mind the rights of the guardians of the child or any other
family member or community as in accordance with local customs

Article 6: States recognise that every child has the inherent right to life, and must work to
ensure the survival and development of the child.

Article 7: Every child has the right to a name, birth registration and nationality. As far as
possible every child has the right to know and be cared for by his/her parents. The state
should make laws and provisions especially for stateless children.

Article 8: A child has the right to preserve his/her identity including nationality, name and
family relations without unlawful interference.

Article 9: Every child has the right not to be separated from their parents against his/her
will unless it is in his/her best interest. Any legal proceeding of separation shall be
attended by all involved parties including the parents. The right has the right to maintain
contact with his/her parent as long as it's not against his/her best interest. If the state is the
cause of separation than the parents, child or any other family member has the right to

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know the whereabouts of the absent member.

Article 10: Every child and family has the right to enter or leave a state at any time they
wish as long as it is in accordance with the laws of each state. If a child is in the different
state as the parents the child has the right to maintain contact with his/her parent as long
as it's not against his/her best interest

Article 11: The state shall combat child trafficking.

Article 12: The state shall ensure the child's right to form and express views with regard
to things that affect him/her in accordance with the maturity and age of the child. A child
shall hence we allowed to be heard in any judicial proceeding concerning the child
directly or indirectly through a representative

Article 13: Children have a right to free expression and this includes right to information
and ideas of all kinds and in any medium. This is only restricted by the violation of others
rights or a threat to national security.

Article 14: Every child has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The
state must respect the parents' right to guide the child in this regard. Freedom to manifest
ones religion is only restricted if the act is harmful to others.

Article 15: Every child has the right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly
unless the act is illegal or harmful to others.

Article 16: Children have the right to privacy and the right to be protected by law against
such interference of attacks

Article 17: The state shall ensure that a child has access to national and international
information that is aimed at the child's well being. For example they may encourage mass
media to produce programmes that are informational for children and encourage the
production of children's books and magazines.

Article 18: The state shall ensure the recognition of responsibility of both parents to care
for a child as long as it is in her/his best interest. The state shall give appropriate guidance
and assistance to parents to uphold the rights of the child. Children of working parents
have the right to access child-care services.

Article 19: The state shall take all types of actions to protect the child from any form of
abuse, exploitation or neglect. The state shall create system to ensure the child receives all
needed support in form of prevention, protection and rehabilitation.

Article 20: Children have the right to protection by the state when they temporarily or
permanently deprived of their family environment or if the environment has proven to be
harmful for them. The state shall find alternate care for the child such as foster care,

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adoption or kafalah of Islamic law. The cultural, linguistic and religious background of the
child should be continued as far as possible.

Article 21: All states shall permit and recognise the process of adoption. Adoption will be
carried out only by a competent authority who will sure the adoption is permissible. Inter-
country adoption will be permitted as an alter form of care only if that care cannot be
provided for in the child's own country. The state must ensure that inter-country adoption
does not result in financial gain, and that both national and international adoption is held
to the same safeguards and standards.

Article 22: Children seeking refugee status and recognised as refuges with or without
their parents shall be granted such a status by the state and have the same rights as all
children in accordance with this convention and any other human rights treaty. The state
shall with the assistance of other international bodies try and reunite the child with his
family or provide the child with the appropriate care.

Article 23: States recognise that children with disabilities (mental or physical) have the
right to a life with dignity and all other rights of this convention. The State also recognises
the need to provide children with disabilities with special care, family assistance, free
education, health, training, etc in accordance with the family's financial situation and aim
for the child's social integration. The state shall also take measure to prevent the
disabilities in children.

Article 24: Every child has the right to access health services and attain the highest
degree of health. To do so the state shall reduce the infant mortality rate, ensure medical
assistance, provide prenatal and post natal care of mothers and child, combat diseases and
malnutrition, create awareness of correct health practises, and development preventive
measure to protect children from possible risks. The state shall also abolish all traditional
practises detrimental to a child's health.

Article 25: All treatments administered to children are subject to periodic review.

Article 26: Every child has the right to social security and social insurance. Benefits
under state laws should take into account the economic and social needs of the families.

Article 27: Every child has the right to a standard of living required for his/her
development. Parents have the duty to ensure this standard to the best of their ability. The
state shall assist parents or others responsible for the child who require the help, and
secure the maintenance of the child from those financially responsible within the state or
abroad.

Article 28: All children have the right to education. The state shall endeavour to provide
free primary education, encourage different forms of secondary education, make higher
forms of education accessible, make vocational information available and encourage
school retention and prevent drop outs. School discipline should not be in violation of

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child rights.

Article 29: Child education should be geared towards the complete development of the
child, in accordance with the child's cultural identity and human rights treaties, and to
prepare the child for responsible life in society. It should not be detrimental to the
environment. People may be allowed to establish educational institutes in accordance with
these standards.

Article 30: Children of minority communities have the right to practise and adopt the
culture, languages and traditions of their community.

Article 31: Every child has the right to leisure, play and participation in cultural events.
The state should encourage child participation in such events.

Article 32: Children have the right to be protected from economic exportation or any
work that is harmful to their physical and mental development or considered hazardous or
dangerous work. The state must constitute a day that dictates minimum age of
employment, conditions of employment and hours of employment with regards to
children.

Article 33: The state should take measure to protect children from substance abuse and
prevent the use of children in the illegal trafficking of such substances.

Article 34: Every child has the right to be protected from sexual exploitation and sexual
abuse. The state must hence prevent the coercion and prostitution of children for such
activities as well as safeguard children from pornographic performances and materials.

Article 35: States shall take measure to prevent the abduction or sale of children for any
purpose.

Article 36: The state shall protect children against any other form of exploitation.

Article 37: The state shall ensure that no child is subject to torture or any other cruel
inhuman treatment, no child is deprived of his liberty unlawfully, and a child deprived of
his liberty is entitled to proper care and humane circumstances, and be provided with legal
consult if necessary.

Article 38: The state ensures and respects the rules of humanitarian law during times of
conflict. The state should also ensure that children below 15 do no participate in the
hostilities, and refrain from recruiting them in armed forces.

Article 39: The state should ensure the recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration of child
victims of neglect, exploitation, or abuse, etc.

Article 40: The state shall recognise the right of every child who has committed a crime
under the law to a proper care and reintegration into society. No child shall be accused or
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penalised for an act which is not a recognised crime. A child who has been accused of a
crime are presumed innocent, should be informed of the charges against him/her, have the
juvenile justice proceeding immediately without delay, not be compelled to give
testimony or admit guilt and the right to privacy of all proceedings. States should
endeavour to establish laws specifically catered to the needs of children who have been
accused or found guilty of any criminal activity and establish a minimum age of guilt.

Article 41: The articles of this convention will not take priority over any laws national or
intentional that better safeguard the rights of a child.

Articles 42-54: outline the establishment, composition and responsibilities of the

Committee on the Rights of the Child.

States party and signatories

As of November 2009, 193 countries have ratified, accepted, or acceded to it (some with
stated reservations or interpretations) including every member of the United Nations
except Somalia and the United States.[4][6] Somalia has announced that it would shortly do
so.

Australia

Australia is member of the convention since 1990. An article in the Australian National
Observer in 1999 described it as having "frightening potential for the ultimate destruction
of Western family values" and the Committee on the Rights of the Child as "an unelected
body, which claims to be responsible only to the children of the world (and which
therefore ultimately is responsible to no-one)".[14]

Canada

Canada has ratified the Convention. Prior to ratifying the treaty, Canada's laws were
either largely or entirely in conformity with the treaty. Youth criminal laws in Canada
underwent major changes resulting in the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) which went
into effect on 1 April 2003. The Act specifically references Canada's different
commitments under the Convention.

The convention was influential in the following administrative Law decision of Baker v.
Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration).

India

In India, there is no outright ban on child labor, and the practice is generally permitted in
most industries except those deemed "hazardous". Although a law in October 2006
banned child labor in hotels, restaurants, and as domestic servants, there continues to be
high demand for children as hired help in the home. Current estimates as to the number of
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child laborers in the country range from the government's conservative estimate of 12
million children under 13 years of age to the much higher estimates of children's rights
activists, which hover around 60 million. Little is being done to address the problem
since the economy is booming and the nuclear family is spreading, thereby increasing
demand for child laborers. Under the auspices of the Unicef financed Udisha initiative
the Government of India is specifying the outline of a means of change and improvement
in child care.[15]

There are severe restrictions on children in India on their rights to have a relationship
with both parents, when they are separated/ divorced, especially when laws to protect
women & children (such as Domestic Violence Act, 2006 or Sec.498A of Indian Penal
Code) are abused or misused by women. The mother is provided custody by default with
the child's access to the Father, not available or enforced in practice, even when there is a
Court order to the effect. As a result, children's rights are often under-represented.

Iran

Although the Islamic Republic of Iran is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of
the Child, international human rights organisations[16] and foreign governments[17]
routinely denounce executions of Iranian child offenders as a violation of the treaty.

Ireland

The Republic of Ireland signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 21 October
1992 and ratified it, without reservation, on 21 September 1992.[18] In response to
criticisms expressed in the 1998 review by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
in Geneva, the Irish government established the office of Ombudsman for Children and
drew up a national children's strategy. In 2006, following concerns expressed by the
committee that the wording of the Irish Constitution does not allow the State to intervene
in cases of abuse other than in very exceptional cases, the Irish government undertook to
amend the constitution to make a more explicit commitment to children's rights.[19]

New Zealand

New Zealand ratified the Convention 6 April 1993 with reservations concerning the right
to distinguish between persons according to the nature of their authority to be in New
Zealand, the need for legislative action on economic exploitation - which it argued was
adequately protected by existing law, and the provisions for the separation of juvenile
offenders from adult offenders.[20]

In 1994, the Court of Appeal dismissed the suggestion that the Minister for Immigration
and his department were at liberty to ignore the convention, arguing that this would imply
that the country's adherence was 'at least partly window-dressing'.[21]

In May 2007, New Zealand passed the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act
2007, which removed the defence of "reasonable force" for the purpose of correction. In
its third and final vote parliament votes 113 to eight in favour of the legislation.[22]

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Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia ratified the Convention in 1996, with a reservation 'with respect to all such
articles as are in conflict with the provisions of Islamic law'[20] and considers it to be a
valid source of domestic law. The Committee on the Rights of the Child, which reviewed
Saudi Arabia's treatment of children under the Convention in January 2005, strongly
condemned the government for its practice of imposing the death penalty on juveniles,
calling it "a serious violation of the fundamental rights". The committee said it was
"deeply alarmed" over the discretionary power judges hold to treat juveniles as adults: In
its 2004 report the Saudi Arabia government had stated that it "never imposes capital
punishment on persons... below the age of 18". The government delegation later
acknowledged that a judge could impose the death penalty whenever he decided that the
convicted person had reached his or her majority, regardless of the person's actual age at
the time of the crime or at the time of the scheduled execution.[23]

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom ratified the Convention on 16 December 1991, with several
declarations and reservations,[24] and made its first report to the Committee on the Rights
of the Child in January 1995. Concerns raised by the Committee included the growth in
child poverty and inequality, the extent of violence towards children, the use of custody
for young offenders, the low age of criminal responsibility, and the lack of opportunities
for children and young people to express views.[25] The 2002 report of the Committee
expressed similar concerns, including the welfare of children in custody, unequal
treatment of asylum seekers, and the negative impact of poverty on children's rights. In
September 2008 the UK government decided to give up its reservations and agree to the
Convention in these respects.[26][27]

The 2002 report's criticism of the legal defence of 'reasonable chastisement' of children
by parents, which the Committee described as 'a serious violation of the dignity of the
child',[28] was rejected by the UK Government. The Minister for Children, Young People
and Families commented that while fewer parents are using smacking as a form of
discipline, the majority said they would not support a ban.[29]

In evidence to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, the Committee was
criticised by the Family Education Trust for "adopting radical interpretations of the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child in its pursuit of an agenda".[30] The Joint
Committee's report recommended that "the time has come for the Government to act
upon the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child concerning
the corporal punishment of children and the incompatibility of the defence of reasonable
chastisement with its obligations under the Convention."[31] The UK Government
responded that "the use of physical punishment is a matter for individual parents to
decide".[32]

United States

The United States government played an active role in the drafting of the Convention and
signed it on 16 February 1995, but has not ratified it.[1] Along with Somalia, the United
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States is one of only two countries in the world which have not ratified the Convention. [33]
It has been claimed that opposition to the Convention stems primarily from political and
religious conservatives.[34] For example, the Heritage Foundation sees it as threatening
national control over domestic policy.[35] Other groups also oppose it, such as the Home
School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), which argues that the CRC threatens
homeschooling,[36] and parental rights groups such as ParentalRights.org, who claim that
it would automatically override almost all domestic laws on children and families
because of the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause in Article VI, and that it undermines
parental rights by granting State officials the power to micromanage families and review
all parental decisions to verify that they are truly in the "best interests" of the child, when
the best interests standard is highly subjective,[37] in addition to allowing minors to have
abortions without the knowledge or consent of parents. President Barack Obama has
described the failure to ratify the Convention as 'embarrassing' and has promised to
review this.[38][39]

CONCLUSION

Over history there have been a number of international treaties and documents that
outline the rights of a child. Prior to World War II the League of Nations had adopted the
Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1924. The United Nations (UN) took its
first step towards declaring the importance of child rights by establishing the United
Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund in 1946(UNICEF). Two years later the
UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, making it the
first UN document to recognize childrens need for protection.

As global efforts to spread norms of respect for human rights, the treaties of the United
Nations are of very great significance. Consequently, it is crucial that they have the legal
form that is most likely to be effective in ensuring their implementation. None of the
analysis above places any doubt on the value of the norms that these instruments
contain.

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