The UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child

The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 November 1989. The UK Government agreed to be bound by the Convention in 1991. Worldwide it has been ratified by 190 states - more quickly and more comprehensively than any other international convention.

What it contains

The Convention is made up of a Preamble and 54 Articles in three Parts. The rights of the child are in Part 1 containing Articles 1 to 41. Parts 2 and 3 deal with implementation and procedure.

The Convention defines children as all people under 18.

The Articles on rights are divided into three groups:

1. basic principles which apply to all rights
   - non-discrimination on grounds of race, sex, religion, disability, opinion or family background
   - the best interests of the child always to be considered by adults or organisations when making decisions about children
   - the child's views to be heard and taken seriously

2. civil and political rights
   - such as a name and nationality, access to information and protection from abuse, neglect, torture or the deprivation of liberty

3. economic, social, cultural and protective rights
   - such as the right to life and opportunities, a decent standard of living, day to day care, health care and a healthy environment, education and protection from exploitation.