Convention on the Rights of the Child: Educational Resource

Summary

The video script underscores the significance of children's rights, emphasizing their central role in society with over 2.5 billion children worldwide. It highlights the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as a pivotal treaty guiding governments to respect, protect, and fulfill children's rights. The CRC encompasses various rights, including non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, and the right to life, survival, and development. It also stresses the importance of implementation through national laws, regular assessments, and raising awareness to ensure children's rights are upheld without discrimination.

Takeaways

• 🌍 In 2017, children under 18 constituted over one-third of the global population, with approximately 2.5 billion children worldwide.
• 📈 By 2025, it's projected that an additional 2 billion children will be born, highlighting the growing significance of this demographic.
• 🏭 In New South Wales, 1.7 million children represent a substantial portion of the population, emphasizing the need for child-focused policies.
• 💼 Investing in children is crucial as it offers long-term societal gains in nutrition, healthcare, education, and protection, surpassing most other areas.
• 🌟 Children possess inherent human rights from birth, including the right to survival, development, protection from harm, and having their views respected.
• 📜 The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a pivotal international treaty that outlines the rights of children and the responsibilities of governments.
• 🔗 The CRC is the most ratified human rights treaty globally, with nearly universal recognition, including by Australia in December 1990.
• 👶 Rights holders, in this context, are individuals under 18, and duty bearers are states and those acting on their behalf, such as government workers.
• 📝 The CRC includes key articles that protect children's rights without discrimination, ensure their best interests are considered, and promote their participation in decisions affecting them.
• 🌐 The CRC's implementation is monitored by a UN Committee, with states required to submit progress reports every five years, and it includes optional protocols addressing military conflict and child exploitation.

Q & A

What percentage of the world's population are children under 18?

Children under 18 make up more than one-third of the world's population.

Approximately how many children were there in the world in 2017?

In 2017, there were approximately 2.5 billion children worldwide.

How many children are projected to be born by 2025 according to current trends?

On current trends, another 2 billion children are projected to be born by 2025.

What is the number of children in New South Wales alone?

In New South Wales alone, there are currently 1.7 million children.

Why is investing in children considered both an opportunity and a duty?

Investing in children is an opportunity because the gains achieved through better nutrition, health care, education, and protection are likely to be far greater and longer-lasting than in almost any other area. It is a duty because children have human rights from the very beginning of their lives, which include the right to survive and develop, to be protected from violence, abuse, and exploitation, and to have their views respected.

What is the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and why is it important?

The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a treaty that recognizes children's rights and makes it the government's responsibility to respect, protect, and fulfill these rights. It is important because it binds governments to a set of internationally accepted human rights articles, providing a way to monitor progress on children's rights and a basis for advocacy.

What does the CRC require of governments that have ratified it?

The CRC requires governments that have ratified it to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of children, ensuring that the provisions of the CRC are considered and applied in all aspects of their work affecting children.

In what year was the CRC ratified in Australia and who are considered rights holders under it?

The CRC was ratified in Australia in December 1990. Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a rights holder under the CRC.

What are the four important articles that apply across all other rights in the CRC?

The four important articles that apply across all other rights in the CRC are Article 2 (Non-discrimination), Article 3 (Best Interests of the Child), Article 6 (Right to Life, Survival, and Development), and Article 12 (Right to Participate).

What are the additional three optional protocols included in the CRC?

The additional three optional protocols included in the CRC are related to military conflict, the sale of children, and individual complaints by children to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

How often must States Parties submit a progress report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child?

States Parties must submit a progress report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child every 5 years.

What is the role of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and how does it monitor the implementation of the CRC?

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is made up of independent experts who monitor and enforce the CRC. They review progress reports submitted by States Parties every 5 years, supplemented by information from NGOs and Children's Commissioners, and provide implementation and improvement recommendations in their concluding observations.