Human rights and children’s rights

• Do you know that all people have rights?
• Do you know that until the age of 18 you have special rights?
• Human rights and children’s rights are about what we need to live safely, be healthy and reach our full development potential. Rights are not wishes or what we want, they are about making sure we treat each other fairly and appropriately.

Why do children need special rights? Children need special rights because they need special protection that adults do not need. Children depend on the people around them throughout their childhood. During this period, they need special protection to help them develop and become independent adults. They also need to respect the rights of those more vulnerable than themselves.

What are children’s rights?

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1990, sets out 42 rights for children. These include the following:

• the right to a name and nationality;
• the right to education;
• the right to family;
• the right to protection;
• the right to health care;
• the right to information;
• the right to participation;
• the right to nutrition;
• the right to free time.

Equal treatment for all children

Of particular importance is the equal treatment of children. Discrimination means any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, social category, belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, chronic non-communicable disease, HIV infection, membership of a disadvantaged group, and any other criterion which has the purpose or effect of restricting or nullifying the recognition, use or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms or rights recognised by law in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.