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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 health. Photo: UNICEF/HQ04-0949/Shehzad Noorani
    • Health
    • Every child has the right to health care, clean water, nutritious food and a safe environment so they can be as healthy as possible.
    • 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
    • Childhood
    • The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises that childhood is a crucial time for a child to grow and develop, and also a time where people are most vulnerable, meaning they need extra protection compared to adults.
    • Every child has the right to participate. Photo: UNICEF/HQ04-1027/Giacomo Pirozzi
    • Voice
    • UNICEF works with children, not just for them, both in our own work and by encouraging the involvement of children and young people in decisions that affect them.
    • Every child has rights, no matter who they are. Photo: UNICEF/HQ01-0155/Nicole Toutounji
    • Fairness
    • All children have the same rights, no matter where they're from or who they are. Yet every day children, like adults, are discriminated against for any number of reasons. Poverty is also a huge barrier that denies children their rights.
    • 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.