Children's Rights
Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Introduction
- Unofficial Summary
- Around the World
- Education Ideas
- Sample Letter
- Full Text of the Convention
- Convention on the Rights of the Child
How the Convention Is Implemented Around the World
The Convention
on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is emerging as a tool to improve conditions
for children around the world. Ratifying countries have incorporated its values
into their national plans, programs, and legislation to protect children in
a variety of issue areas.
Children of the peace community San José de Apartadó, Colombia. In March 1997 the community declared itself a peace community and demanded that all parties to the conflict respect the lives of the civilian population and their right not to be drawn into the conflict. ( © Private )
Inspired by the CRC, numerous countries have established and further strengthened laws protecting children in the family and community. Belgium and Germany extended national jurisdiction in cases of child prostitution and pornography by prosecuting individuals involved in "sex tourism." In Sri Lanka, the parliament unanimously passed four bills to radically change existing laws related to child abuse, child labor, and adoption. The Romanian government amended its laws so that the Romanian Committee on Adoptions, a government body chaired by the Ministry of Health, is now the only institution in control of inter-country adoptions, making "private" adoptions illegal.
In the area of juvenile justice, many countries changed laws to guarantee basic rights of minors who come in conflict with the law. El Salvador, Peru, and Bolivia enacted new justice codes for children based on the CRC. Mexico, Pakistan, and Tunisia also modified laws to afford greater protection to young offenders. France moved to protect the rights of minors to express themselves in court. Vietnam reviewed its judicial processes, amended all legal documents related to juvenile justice, and has since discussed establishing a juvenile court. Furthermore, with the assistance of UNICEF, judges, correctional officers, social workers, and law enforcement officials in Vietnam were trained on the practical application of the CRC with children in conflict with the law. In Rwanda, UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross have used provisions of the CRC as the basis of their program to transfer some of the children accused of genocide and murder out of the overcrowded adult prisons and into rehabilitation centers.
The CRC becomes a living document as it is used to actively promote and enforce children's human rights. Although not fully utilized by all ratifying countries, initial implementation of the CRC reveals its great potential.