Presents the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child as distributed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR). The Convention was adopted by General Assembly Resolution 44/25 of November 20, 1989 and entered into force September 2, 1990. The 54 articles of the Convention set out the basic human rights and protections to be accorded to children. The Convention defines a child as a person under eighteen years of age unless an earlier age of majority is required by a country’s law. The best interest of the child standard is to be applied. Every child has certain basic rights, including: the right to life, the right to a name and identity, the right to a family and relationship with parents, the right to freedom of expression and thought, the right to protection from abuse and exploitation, the right to an education, and the right to privacy. The Convention requires nations to protect a child in legal proceedings, humanitarian situations, and armed conflicts as well as to foster health and an adequate standard of living. Children are not to be subjected to torture, capital punishment, or deprived of liberty. Refugees and disabled children have the right to special care.
