The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Convention on the Rights of the Child stands alone in its definition of human rights and clearly articulates the world community's ambitious goals for the well being of the world's children.  The 54 articles define and guarantee, for the first time under one treaty, that children have the same rights as adults: civil, political, social, cultural and economic.  The Convention recognizes that children are individuals with rights to fully develop physically, mentally and socially and to freely express their opinions.

All Children Everywhere Have:

• The right to affection, love, understanding and care.  To know and be cared for by their family - as far as possible.
• The right to a name, nationality and birth registration.
• The right to adequate food, protection and medical care.
• The right to free education, compulsory attendance.
• The right to play and recreation in order to develop their full potential.
• The right to protection against all forms of physical and psychological abuse, exploitation, injury, violence, and neglect.
• The right to be among the first to receive relief in times of disaster.
• The right to express their opinion, to develop individual abilities and to learn to be a useful member of society.
• The right to be brought up in a spirit of peace, universal brotherhood, solidarity and social justice.
• The right to be treated equally and to enjoy these rights regardless of race, color, nationality, political opinion, sex, disability or economic position.

See the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child site for the full text.