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Rights

All children have rights based on what they need to survive and thrive, such as clean water, health care, protection and the chance to go to school. These rights are central to all aspects of UNICEF's work.

    • Two young siblings in Ukraine. Many children like them are denied protection. Photo: UNICEF/ HQ05-1777/Giacomo Pirozzi
    • About Your Rights
    • Every child and young person under the age of 18 has rights, no matter who they are, where they live or what they believe in. These rights are protected by an agreement between almost all of the countries in the world.
    • On 8 May 2002, hundreds of children representing more than 100 countries marched on New York in the Global March for Children's Rights. Photo: UNICEF/Stacy Sullivan
    • Convention on the Rights of the Child
    • UNICEF works day-in day-out to protect and promote child rights. In 1989, the world's leaders officially recognised these rights by signing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
    • Every child has the right to life. Photo: UNICEF/UKRA00902/Giacomo Pirozzi
    • Life
    • Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been signed and ratified by every country in the world except Somalia and the USA, every child has the right to life, survival and development.
    • Every child has the right to health. Photo: UNICEF/HQ04-0949/Shehzad Noorani
    • Health
    • Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child in the world has the right to good health, regardless of how much money their government has to spend on health care.
    • Every child has the right to education. Photo: UNICEF/HQ98-0542/Giacomo Pirozzi
    • Education
    • Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been signed and ratified by every country in the world except Somalia and the USA, every child in the world has the right to a good education.
    • Every child has the right to protection. Photo: UNICEF/HQ00-0638/Roger LeMoyne
    • Protection
    • Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been signed and ratified by every country in the world except Somalia and the USA, every child in the world has the right to protection from things that may harm them.
    • Children have the right to be cared for. Photo: UNICEF Viet Nam/03/Nguyen Quy Hoa
    • Family
    • The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been signed and ratified by every country in the world except Somalia and the USA, gives children and young people the right to be with their families, as far as possible.
    • Every child has the right to their own identity. Photo: UNICEF/HQ92-2002/Roger Lemoyne
    • Identity
    • Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been signed and ratified by every country in the world except Somalia and the USA, every child in the world has the right to an identity.
    • Every child has the right to participate. Photo: UNICEF/HQ04-1027/Giacomo Pirozzi
    • Opinions
    • The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says that all children, and their opinions, should be respected – but they must also respect the rights and responsibilities of other people, especially their parents.
    • Every child has rights, no matter who they are. Photo: UNICEF/HQ01-0155/Nicole Toutounji
    • Equality
    • The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has all of the rights it contains, no matter who they are or where they come from.
    • Every child has the right to play. Photo: UNICEF/HQ04-0406/Christine Nesbitt
    • Play
    • The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child protects every child’s right to play. Sport, recreation and play are a fun way to learn values and lessons that will last a life time.
    • The Rights Respecting School Award encourages pupils and teachers to understand and respect their rights and responsibilities. Photo: UNICEF UK/2009/Thomas Hanley
    • The Rights Respecting School Award
    • UNICEF UK has teamed up with schools to create the Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA), meaning you can be more involved in decisions about how your school is run.