Child Rights hub page

World Vision believes that all children have rights, regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity or ability. These rights are clearly set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which was agreed in 1989.

The Convention is the most widely accepted human rights treaty ever (with only two countries yet to endorse it) and commits governments to protecting and ensuring children's rights. The Convention is for all children but particular attention is given to the rights of:

• refugee children;
• disabled children;
• ethnic minority children and children of indigenous origin;
• working children;
• child victims of sexual, physical or other forms of abuse;children affected by armed conflicts.

The sad fact is that though most governments have signed up to and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, many children in today’s world do not have their rights met. These children include the estimated two million enslaved in the global sex trade; the 300,000 actively involved in armed conflict; the 90-98% of disabled children in developing countries denied an education; and the 12.1 million children in sub-Saharan Africa who have been orphaned as a result of AIDS.

World Vision is committed to ensuring that the rights of all children are respected, protected, promoted and fulfilled by:

• researching how and why children’s rights are ignored and abused;
• raising awareness of children’s rights in the UK and overseas; 
• asking governments to meet their commitments to children’s rights as outlined in the UNCRC; 
• enacting laws to ensure that the rights of all children are met;
• working with governments, community groups, churches and other organisations to promote the rights of children;
• ensuring children have a full part in establishing measures that enhance their protection, foster their development, growth and well-being and guarantee that their human rights are respected.

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