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About the ICC
Issues
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Child Rights
The Facts:
- After more than 60 years of advocacy, in 1989, the Convention On the Rights of the Child became the most-signed treaty in the world. The basic premise of this treaty is that all children deserve the fundamental freedoms and rights of all human beings. The United States and Somalia are the only two countries that have not ratified the convention.
- Children suffer some of the worst human rights abuses in the world. In some cases, street children are killed or tortured by police. Children as young as 6 years are kidnapped and forced to work in armies or armed rebel groups. Many children in the world are forced into extremely difficult working conditions by the age of 6. Others are forced into prostitution.
- Child Rights abuses include: the use of child soldiers, child labour, discrimination, poor or no education, poor or no health care, sexual exploitation, and violence against children.
- The worst areas for child sexual exploitation are Central America and Eastern Europe. Almost half of children forced into labour serve as agricultural workers.
- Children are very vulnerable to these kinds of human rights abuses because of their physical and psychological immaturity.
- Many governments have taken Child Rights much further. Numerous governments have implemented agencies or bureaus that deal with the issue of Child Rights abuses, foreign and domestic.
- While much advancement in the field of child rights has been made, there is still a LONG way to go. This was best put by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who said: "The principle of 'all children, all rights' is still much too far from being a reality."
What Can You Do?
To Find Out More:
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