Rights

Two young siblings in Ukraine. Many children like them are denied protection.
UNICEF/ HQ05-1777/Giacomo Pirozzi

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 20 November 1989, the world made a set of promises to all children when it adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. All of the countries in the world have now signed up to it except for Somalia and the United States of America. A convention is an agreement between countries to obey the same law.

The Convention states that every child has the same rights:

• the right to a childhood (which includes protection from harm)
• the right to be educated (which includes all girls and boys completing primary school)
• the right to be healthy (which includes having clean water, nutritious food and medical care)
• the right to be treated fairly (which includes changing laws and practices that are unfair on children)
• the right to be heard (which includes considering children's views)

The Convention is needed because people under the age of 18 need unique care and protection that adults don't. It says that children are entitled to these rights whatever their race, religion, abilities, or type of family they come from. With these rights come responsibilities. Every child, young person and adult has a responsibility to make sure that their behaviour doesn't interfere with another person’s rights.

Governments are responsible for making these rights available to everyone, and making sure that all parents and children know and understand the Convention. All organisations concerned with children should work towards what is best for them.

Rights in the UK

The United Kingdom ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on 16 December 1991. That means that our Government now has to make sure that every child has all the rights in the Convention. They have to regularly report to a panel of independent experts, and deliver progress updates explaining the efforts they've made towards child rights.

Denying child rights is wrong. Help us to put it right for children.

Find out more

• Learn more about the Convention.
• Download all your rights under the Convention.
• Find out how to lobby your MP and get your voice heard on the issues that matter to you.
• Our peer education pack and guide to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which was produced in 2009 to help young people celebrate its 20th birthday.