Children

The idea that children are human beings with their own rights and dignity is a relatively recent one in the evolution of humanity. Children have been traditionally viewed as the property of parents or of the State, devoid of any rights, with no recourse or protection from violence, abuse or mistreatment.  

In 1959, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which defines children’s rights to protection, education, health care, shelter, and good nutrition. Thirty years later, the Declaration became the foundation for the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and today, the Convention remains the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. Numerous achievements have been realized since the Convention’s adoption. Children born today are twice as likely to reach their fifth birthday due to better healthcare. The number of children enrolled in school in least developed countries has increased from 53 percent to 81 percent. With greater restrictions on employing children, child labour rates dropped from nearly 1 in 4 children under 15 years of age working in 1990 to 1 in 8 in recent years.