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Happy 18th Birthday, CRC!
By Philippa Lei on 20 Nov 2007
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force on 20 November 1989. World Vision is calling upon States Parties to mark the CRC's 18th anniversary with a "birthday present" – a new Optional Protocol for a complaints mechanism.
Why? The CRC is the only international human rights treaty with mandatory reporting that lacks a complaints mechanism. This is a serious matter of discrimination against children. A complaints mechanism would be something to which children and their advocates could appeal when domestic or regional remedies fail or simply do not exist. It would pressure States Parties to walk the talk – to fulfil their obligations.
After 18 years, the basic human rights of millions of children are still not being met. World Vision is all too familiar with the serious violations that occur daily, compromising the safety and security of millions of children. Every year, more than 10 million children die totally preventable deaths. An estimated 300 million children are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse, in their homes, schools and communities. Some 2.3 million children are living with HIV, and over 15 million have lost one or both parents to AIDS.
World Vision is asking States Parties to the Convention and the
Committee on the Rights of the Child to:
• encourage the development of a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
• build momentum for the Human Rights Council (HRC) to establish a UN Working Group to consider such an instrument;
• ratify the Optional Protocol and lobby other members of the General Assembly to do so, to bring it in to force.
If you live in any country other than the USA or Somalia, your country is a State Party to the Convention. SEND A CRC BIRTHDAY CARD TO YOUR GOVERNMENT! Just download the PDF attached below...
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