Six things to remember about children's rights
20 November 2024 will mark the 35th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This anniversary is an opportunity to recall the fundamental principles of the Convention and to highlight the persistent challenges in implementing these rights. Let's take a look at six key elements of this founding text, to better understand its importance and impact on children's lives.
The CRC: a landmark text for children's rights
The rights of the child are detailed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CIDE). It is the first legally binding text in history to recognise children as subjects in their own right, with economic, social, political, civil and cultural rights - all fundamental, binding and non-negotiable rights. The text was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989.
A complete and necessary text
The CRC contains 54 articles and reminds every child of his or her right :
- to have a name,
- civil status,
- to be cared for,
- protected from violence,
- not to go to war,
- to live in decent conditions,
- to play and have fun...
Article 28 refers specifically to the right of every child to have free access to quality education and learning.
The 4 principles of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Convention is based on 4 guiding principles:
- the best interests of the child,
- survival and development,
- non-discrimination,
- and the participation of children in all matters that concern them.
Over the years, the Convention has been supplemented by three protocols:
- the first against the recruitment of children in armed conflicts,
- the second against the sale and prostitution of children,
- the third allows any child to lodge a complaint about a violation of his or her rights directly with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Indivisible rights
Children's rights are only truly effective and efficient if every child can enjoy all the rights guaranteed by the Convention, without discrimination and unconditionally.
It is therefore essential to consider children's rights as indissociable from each other.
On a global scale
The The Convention has been signed and ratified by 197 StatesThis is their commitment to defending and guaranteeing the rights of children without distinction.
To date, only the United States has not ratified the Convention. Unlike other states, it is therefore not subject to periodic review by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Made up of independent experts, this committee monitors the implementation of the CRC through reports submitted by States and civil society on the situation of children's rights in their country.
France's position on children's rights
The latest periodic review by the Committee on the Rights of the Child against France dates from May 2023.
While many advances have been recognised, the experts nevertheless urged France to eradicate child poverty in its territory and to improve access and quality of education for children marginalised or disadvantaged.
On the issue of children's rights in the context of France's international cooperation policy, the Committee praised the prioritisation of children's rights in the framework of the Programming Act on Solidarity-based Development and the Fight against Global Inequalities (LOPDSLIM). This law guides both France's development policy and its humanitarian actions.
But he encouraged her:
- to implement this prioritisation in its development and humanitarian projects,
- to increase its development aid by 0.7 %,
- and to assess the impact of its international cooperation policy on the specific issue of children's rights.
