The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated as the CRC or

UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social,
health and cultural rights of children. The convention defines a child as any human being under the age
of eighteen, unless the age of majority is attained earlier under national legislation.

Nations that have ratified this convention or have acceded to it are bound by international law. When a
state has signed the treaty but not ratified it, it is not yet bound by the treaty's provisions but is already
obliged to not act contrary to its purpose.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, composed of 18 independent experts, is responsible for
supervising the implementation of the convention by the states that have ratified it. Their governments
are required to report to and appear before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child periodically
to be examined on their progress regarding the advancement of the implementation of the convention
and the status of child rights in their country. Their reports and the committee's written views and
concerns are available on the committee's website.

India
India ratified UNCRC on 11 December 1992, agreeing in principle to all articles but with certain
reservations on issues relating to child labor.[1] In India, there is a law that children under the age of 18
should not work, citation needed contradictory but there is no outright ban on child labor. The practice
is generally permitted in most industries except those deemed "hazardous", for which minimum ages
apply. Although a law in October 2006 banned child labor in hotels, restaurants, and as domestic
servants, there continues to be a high demand for children as hired help in the home. There are different
estimates as to the number of child laborers in the country. According to the government's conservative
estimate, in 2011 4.4 million children under 14 years of age were working in India, while the NGO
Save the Children in a statement of 2016 cites a study by the Campaign Against Child Labour that
estimates the number of child laborers in India at 12.7 million.

In 2016, the Child and Adolescent Labour (Amendment) Act was introduced, which prohibited
children's economic employment under the age of 14 years and the employment of adolescents (14–17
years of age) in hazardous occupations. Some exceptions exist for children under 14 —they can aid in
the family enterprise and participate in the entertainment industry. It must not harm their school
education and they must not work between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m.

The UNCRC is a human rights treaty that sets the political, civil, economic, social, health and cultural
rights of children.
 It is an international agreement that is legally binding on the members.
 It consists of 54 articles that spell out various children’s rights and also the measures
governments should take in order to make these rights available to children.
 The CRC was adopted by the United Nations in 1989. It entered into force in 1990 after
receiving the minimum of 20 ratifications.
 It has been ratified by all members of the UN except for the United States. It is the most widely
ratified human rights treaty in the history of the world.
 Under the articles of the convention, all parties to it are required to ensure that children’s basic
needs are fulfilled and they are able to reach their full potential.

Submitted By: Gazala Shaheen

Topic: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Elective: Inclusive Education
Right of the Child:
The convention identifies a child as a human being below the age of 18. The CRC acknowledges
that every child is entitled to fundamental rights, and some of the most important rights are as
follows:

1. Right to life, survival and development.

2. Right to education that facilitates them to reach their full potential.
3. Right to protection from abuse, violence or neglect.
4. Right to express opinions and be heard.
5. Right to be raised by or have a relationship with their parents.

4 core principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

1. Non-discrimination
2. Right to life, survival and development
3. Best interests of the child
4. Respect for the child’s views

Brief Timeline of Child Rights Movement

The first time in modern history children’s rights was given importance was when the League of Nations
adopted the Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child in 1924. This was drafted by the Eglantyne
Jebb, who founded the Save the Children Fund.
 UNICEF was founded in 1946.
 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights passed in 1948 by the UNGA in which an article
mentions mothers and children.
 The Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the UNGA in 1959.
 The ILO adopts a convention that sets out 18 as the minimum age for people to undertake
hazardous work.
 The Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict
adopted in 1974.
 The UNGA declares 1979 as the International Year of the Child.
 In 1989, the UNCRC is adopted.
 CRC enters into force in 1990.
 As of 2015, all members have ratified the convention excepting for the US.

UNCRC Optional Protocols

Three optional protocols have been added to the convention. They are mentioned below:

1. Protocol asking governments not to enlist children below the age of 18 into the armed forces
(2000).

Submitted By: Gazala Shaheen

Topic: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Elective: Inclusive Education
 2. Protocol asking governments to prohibit child pornography, child prostitution, and the sale of
children into slavery (2000).
3. Protocol that enables children who faced violation of their rights to complain directly to the UN
Committee on the Rights of the Child (2011).
It is this Committee that monitors the implementation of the convention. Additionally, UNICEF plays
an important role in the working of the UNCRC.

What makes the UN Convention so special?

The Convention has 54 articles that cover all aspects of a child’s life and set out the civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights that all children everywhere are entitled to. It also explains how
adults and governments must work together to make sure all children can enjoy all their rights.

Every child has rights “without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child’s or his or her
parent’s or legal guardian’s race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national,
ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status” (Article 2).

The Convention must be seen as a whole: all the rights are linked and no right is more important than
another. The right to relax and play (Article 31) and the right to freedom of expression (Article 13) have
equal importance as the right to be safe from violence (Article 19) and the right to education (Article
28).

We are the only organization working for children recognized by the Convention.

The Convention is also the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world. All UN member states
except for the United States have ratified the Convention. The Convention came into force in the UK
in 1992.

Conclusion:
The needs of children form the basis for a universal set of standards by which all children should be
treated in order for them to achieve their full potential for health and development. The Convention on
the Rights of the Child codifies these needs and acknowledges them as human rights which all children
are entitled to have fulfilled. Children’s rights cannot be realized unless adults with responsibilities for
children take the necessary action to make them a reality. Accordingly, the Convention places
responsibilities on governments and other adults to take all necessary action to ensure the realization of
all rights for all children.
 All children have rights that emanate from their humanity. In addition, all children have basic
universal needs.
 These needs form a basic set of common standards necessary for optimal health and
development.
 Children are entitled to be treated according to these common standards.
Submitted By: Gazala Shaheen
Topic: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Elective: Inclusive Education
 These standards impose obligations on adults to ensure their fulfillment.
 A commitment to fulfilling these obligations creates rights for children to have their needs met.
 These rights have been codified into an international human rights treaty, the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child, which introduces obligations on governments, and other responsible
adults and agencies, to protect and promote the rights of children necessary to fulfill their needs.

THANK YOU

Submitted By: Gazala Shaheen

Topic: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Elective: Inclusive Education