3. How children’s rights were created

Living Democracy » Textbooks » Exploring Children’s Rights » Part 2: Background information » 3. How children’s rights were created

1945	After the Second World War, many nations in the world formed a union – they founded the UN, that is, the United Nations. Together they wanted to support peace and liberty in the world.
10. December 1948	On this day, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These basic rights of all human beings in the world were also understood to apply to children. But soon it was suggested that children were something special and therefore they were in need of special protection.
1950	A first draft of children’s rights was set up. For several years, the represen-tatives of the member states discussed it in the United Nations.
20. November 1959	On this day, the United Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Such a declaration is not binding for all states, but it has the advantage of addressing all states as a recommendation for their future policies.
1979	In the whole world, this year was celebrated as the Year of the Child. The rights of children were thought about and discussed everywhere. For the benefit of children, more and more people wished these rights to be worked out in more detail, and, more importantly, to be made more legally binding.
20. November 1989	On this day, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Since then, governments of almost all nations in the world have signed this Convention on children’s rights. In doing so, they have promised to spread information on the rights of children in their countries, to apply them and to give special attention to the protection of children. However, in many places around the world, children still suffer serious injustice. Each of us is responsible and must take action if all children in the world are to enjoy their rights.

2. Children's rights - part of the human rights process

4. Children's rights: experiencing, getting to know and implementing them