THE UNITED NATIONS

CONVENTION
ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
[Link]
The United Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child is an international agreement
that protects the human rights of the children
under the age of 18. On 16 December 1991,
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland formally agreed to make
sure that every child in the UK has all the
rights as listed in the convention.

Article 13

The Welsh Assembly Government has shown its

commitment to the convention by adopting it as
the basis for policy making for children in Wales.

Children have the right to meet together and to join groups and
organisations, as long as this does not stop other people from
enjoying their rights.

Altogether there are 54 articles in the

convention. Articles 43-45 are about how
adults and governments should work together
to make sure all children are entitled to their
rights. The information contained here is
about articles 1-42 which set out how children
should be treated.

Children have a right to privacy. The law should protect them from
attacks against their way of life, their good name, their families
and their homes.

Article 1

Everyone under 18 years of age has all the rights in this

Convention.

Article 2

The Convention applies to everyone whatever their race, religion,

abilities, whatever they think or say and whatever type of family
they come from.

Article 3

All organisations concerned with children should work towards

what is best for each child.

Article 4

Governments should make these rights available to children.

Article 5

Governments should respect the rights and responsibilities of

families to direct and guide their children so that, as they grow,
they learn to use their rights properly.

Article 6

All children have the right of life. Governments should ensure that
children survive and develop healthily.

Article 7

All children have the right to a legally registered name, the right to
a nationality and the right to know and, as far as possible, to be
cared for by their parents.

Article 8

Governments should respect childrens right to a name, a

nationality and family ties.

Article 9

Children should not be separated from their parents unless it

is for their own good, for example if a parent is mistreating or
neglecting a child. Children whose parents have separated have
the right to stay in contact with both parents, unless this might
hurt the child.

Article 10

Families who live in different countries should be allowed to move

between those countries sothat parents and children can stay in
contact or get back together as a family.

Article 11

Governments should take steps to stop children being taken out

of their own country illegally.

Article 12

Children have the right to say what they think should happen,
when adults are making decisionsthat affect them, and to have
their opinions taken into account.

E5770910

Children have the right to get and to share information as long as

the information is not damaging to them or to others.

Article 14

Children have the right to think and believe what they want and
to practise their religion, as long as they are not stopping other
people from enjoying their rights. Parents should guide their
children on these matters.

Article 15

Article 16

Article 17

Children have the right to reliable information from the mass

media. Television, radio and newspapers should provide
information that children can understand, and should not promote
materials that could harm children.

Article 18

Both parents share responsibility for bringing up their children, and

should always consider what is best for each child. Governments
should help parents by providing services to support them,
especially if both parents work.

Article 19

Article 29

Education should develop each childs personality and talents to

the full. It should encourage children to respect their parents, and
their own and other cultures

Article 30

Children have a right to learn and use the language and customs
of their families, whether these are shared by the majority of
people in the country or not.

Article 31

All children have a right to relax and play, and to join in a wide
range of activities.

Article 32

The Government should protect children from work that is

dangerous or might harm their healthor their education.

Article 33

The Government should provide ways of protecting children from

dangerous drugs.

Article 34

The Government should protect children from sexual abuse.

Governments should ensure that children are properly cared

for, and protect them from violence, abuse and neglect by their
parents or anyone else who looks after them.

Article 35

Article 20

Article 36

The Government should make sure that children are not abducted
or sold.

Children who cannot be looked after by their own family must be

looked after properly, by people who respect their religion, culture
and language.

Children should be protected from any activities that could harm

their development.

Article 21

Children who break the law should not be treated cruelly. They
should not be put in prison with adults and should be able to
keep in contact with their families.

When children are adopted the first concern must be what is best
for them. The same rules should apply whether the children are
adopted in the country where they were born or taken to live in
another country.

Article 22

Children who come into a country as refugees should have the

same rights as children born in that country.

Article 23

Children who have any kind of disability should have special care
and support so that they can lead full and independent lives.

Article 24

Children have the right to good quality health care and to clean
water, nutritious food and a clean environment so that they will
stay healthy. Rich countries should help poorer countries achieve
this.

Article 25

Children who are looked after by their local authority rather than
their parents should have their situation reviewed regularly.

Article 26

The Government should provide extra money for the children of

families in need.

Article 27

Children have a right to a standard of living that is good enough

to meet their physical and mental needs. The Government should
help families who cannot afford to provide this.

Article 28

Children have a right to an education. Discipline in schools should

respect childrens human dignity. Primary education should be free.
Wealthy countries should help poorer countries achieve this.

Article 37

Article 38

Governments should not allow children under 15 to join the army.

Children in war zones should receive special protection.

Article 39

Children who have been neglected or abused should receive

special help to restore their selfrespect.

Article 40

Children who are accused of breaking the law should receive legal
help. Prison sentences for children should only be used for the
most serious offences.

Article 41

If the laws of a particular country protect children better than the

articles of the Convention, then those laws should stay.

Article 42

The Government should make the Convention known to all

parents and children.

For further information on the United Nations

Convention on the Rights of the Child please
visit The Welsh Assembly Governments UNCRC
Website
[Link]
Clic - The National Information and Advice
Service for Young People
[Link]