10 Essential Rights Every Child Must Know!

Every year on November 20, International Children’s Rights Day marks the anniversary of the 1959 adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Thirty years later, this was expanded by the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, signed by 196 countries. Its goal is to ensure all children, without distinction, are granted civil, economic, social, cultural, and political rights. Here are the rights that signatory states have committed to protect and enforce.

What is the International Convention on the Rights of the Child?

To protect children, who are more vulnerable than adults, the International Convention on the Rights of the Child was established in 1989. This fundamental treaty was unanimously adopted by the UN to recognize minors as full-fledged beings with social, economic, cultural, civil, and political rights. These fundamental rights, mandatory and non-negotiable, are enshrined in the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. Globally, 196 countries—excluding the United States—have pledged to defend and guarantee the rights of all children without distinction and to be accountable to the United Nations. France was the second European country to sign the convention on August 7, 1990, just after Sweden. According to UNICEF, this text is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. Specifically, the convention includes 54 articles that outline what children are entitled to, in order to protect them from the surrounding world.

The 10 Fundamental Rights of Childhood

The International Convention on the Rights of the Child outlines the fundamental rights of children. Among the top ten, every child has the right to:

1. Have a name, identity, and nationality;
2. Receive healthcare, be protected from illness, have a balanced diet, and not go hungry;
3. Attend school and receive an education;
4. Be protected from all forms of violence, mistreatment, abuse, and exploitation;
5. Be protected from discrimination;
6. Not engage in war or be affected by it;
7. Have a safe refuge, be rescued, and live in decent conditions;
8. Play freely and enjoy leisure activities;
9. Have freedom of information, expression, and participation;
10. Have a family, be surrounded by love and care.

Four fundamental principles are emphasized in these rights: non-discrimination, the paramountcy of the child’s best interests, the right to live, survive and develop, and the respect for the child’s views. Additionally, three protocols have been added to the original text. The first two aim to protect children from being recruited into armed conflicts and from child trafficking (for forced labor, illegal adoption, organ donation), prostitution, and child pornography. The third defines the international procedure allowing any child to file a complaint for violation of their rights directly with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child after all domestic remedies have been exhausted, according to UNICEF.

Statistics on Childhood Violence

While the living conditions for children have improved in recent years, many children’s rights are still not being met worldwide. According to the UN, in 2022, “up to 1 billion children aged 2 to 17 years experienced physical, sexual, emotional violence or neglect.” Other notable statistics demonstrating these harsh realities worldwide include:

• 250 million children and youth are out of school;
• 160 million children, aged 5 to 17, are working, accounting for nearly 1 in 10 children globally;
• 7.5 million girls are married each year before the age of 18;
• More than 3 million girls are at risk of female genital mutilation each year;
• 300,000 child soldiers, including 120,000 in Africa;

World Vision also highlights the plight of millions of children exploited by the cosmetic industry, particularly in the harvesting of raw materials. If no protective measures are taken, “140 million children are still at risk of working by 2025,” warns the organization.