Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1959

In 1959, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the

Rights of the Child. It marked the first major international consensus on the
fundamental principles of children’s rights.

Origin of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child

In 1924, the League of Nations (LON) adopted the Geneva Declaration, a historic
document that recognised and affirmed for the first time the existence of rights
specific to children and the responsibility of adults towards children.
The United Nations (UN) was founded after World War II. It took over the Geneva
Declaration in 1946. However, following the adoption of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights in 1948, the advancement of rights revealed the shortcomings of the
Geneva Declaration, which therefore had to be expanded.
They thus chose to draft a second Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which again
addressed the notion that “mankind owes to the Child the best that it has to give.”
On 20 November 1959, the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted
unanimously by all 78 Member States of the United Nations General Assembly in
Resolution 1386 (XIV).

Content of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child

However, neither the 1924 Geneva Declaration nor the 1959 Declaration of the
Rights of the Child define when childhood starts and ends, mainly to avoid taking a
stand on abortion.
Nonetheless, the Preamble to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child highlights
children’s need for special care and protection, “including appropriate legal
protection, before as well as after birth.”
The Declaration of the Rights of the Child lays down ten principles:

 1. The right to equality, without distinction on account of race, religion or

national origin.
 2. The right to special protection for the child’s physical, mental and social
development.
 3. The right to a name and a nationality.
 4. The right to adequate nutrition, housing and medical services.
 5. The right to special education and treatment when a child is physically or
mentally handicapped.
 6. The right to understanding and love by parents and society.
 7. The right to recreational activities and free education.
 8. The right to be among the first to receive relief in all circumstances.
 9. The right to protection against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation.
 10. The right to be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance,
friendship among peoples, and universal brotherhood.
What is the meaning of UNESCO?
UNESCO is an organization created by the United Nations to solve problems relating to
education, sciences and culture. It was created on November 16, 1945. The charter of
UNESCO was accepted at the London conference in November 1945 and entered into
force in November 4 in 1946. UNESCO members include 195 member states and 10
associate members.

This organization has more than 60 bureau and departments located in different parts
of the world. The Head Office is situated in Paris, France.

Functions of UNESCO

The primary purpose of UNESCO is to strengthen;

 peace and safety in the world;

 sciences and cultures in the interest of providing universal respect and justice;
 justice and human rights;
 fundamental freedoms for all without distinction of race, language or religion.

To achieve their goals, the UNESCO executes five basic functions:

 conducting promising researches in the fields of education, science, culture and

communication, necessary for the present and future;
 promoting advancement, transmission and exchange of knowledge, mainly
based on scientific researches, preparation and teaching;
 carrying out other activities such as the preparation and acceptance of
international acts;
 providing expert services to the state-members to help with issues regarding
their politics and the development of different projects;
 carrying out an exchange of the specialized information.

UNICEF
In the first few years following the Second World War, the situation of children in Europe
was terrible. To solve the problems, the United Nations created a new establishment -
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). In the beginning UNICEF dealt mainly with
issues of provision of health services. As time went on, UNICEF became responsible for
all areas relating to the welfare of children, including education.

Today, UNICEF operates in 190 countries and territories, giving help to vulnerable
children. UNICEF cooperates with the specialized organizations and governments in the
creation of strategic plans to provide a healthy development for children, protection of
their rights and helping then realise their potential.
UNESCO works with UNICEF in the area of providing education for children.

CEDAW
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women or CEDAW
is an international human rights treaty, which requires countries to eliminate discrimination
against women in all areas, and promotes equal rights of men and women. The Convention,
adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of
rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes
discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such
discrimination.

ILO
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations (U.N.) agency. The goal of
the ILO is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labor standards.
The ILO has 187 member states and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with
approximately 40 field offices around the world. The standards upheld by the ILO are
broadly intended to ensure accessible, productive, and sustainable work worldwide in
conditions of freedom, equity, security, and dignity.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) was founded in 1919 under the League of
Nations and incorporated into the U.N. as a specialized agency in 1946. The ILO is the first
and oldest specialized agency of the U.N. The organization’s goal is to serve as a uniting
force among governments, businesses, and workers. It emphasizes the need for workers to
enjoy conditions of freedom, equity, security, and human dignity through their employment.
The ILO promotes international labor standards through its field offices in Africa, Latin
America and the Caribbean, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe and Central
Asia.2 The organization provides training on fair employment standards, offers technical
cooperation for projects in partner countries, analyzes labor statistics and publishes related
research, and regularly holds events and conferences to examine critical social and labor
issues. The ILO was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969. The organization was
recognized for improving fraternity and peace among nations, pursuing decent
work and justice for workers, and providing technical assistance to developing nations.