Advocacy: Child rights are human rights

Child Rights are Human Rights

Children everywhere in the world have rights. These are set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Kindernothilfe calls for the introduction of the right of individual complaint as an effective instrument to implement this UN convention.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was passed by the General Assembly of the UN in 1989 (Download PDF) and came into force on 4 April 1990. Ratified by 192 states, this human rights convention contains 54 articles. It was ratified in Germany on 5 April 1992, albeit with reservations. This is having disastrous consequences, particularly for refugee children who come to Germany without their parents. Some sections of the Convention on the Rights of the Child have been supplemented and improved, particularly the section on the protection of children in armed conflicts. So far, over 100 states have ratified this optional protocol.

Who supervises the way states implement the convention?
The normal procedure is for states to report every five years on the progress they are making in implementing the convention in their country. The reports which are sent to the UN-Committee on the Rights of the Child rarely give an objective picture of the situation on children's rights. The UN-Committee then draws up the so-called concluding observations i.e. recommendations to the states on ways to improve the situation of children and young people. NGOs can submit their own reports, and the National Coalition for the implementation of the UN-Convention on the Rights of the Child in Germany has compiled a report on Germany's second state report. Kindernothilfe was involved in this.

Kindernothilfe demands the right of complaint for children
Kindernothilfe demands an effective instrument to implement the UN-Convention on the Rights of the Child: the right of individual complaint. Kindernothilfe compiled the publication "Children as strong as Nations" which gives the background and arguments in favour of this right.

Important demands Kindernothilfe is making regarding Children's Rights

• Unreserved implementation of the UN-Convention on the Rights of the Child;
• the introduction of an individual right of complaint.