Children rights are extra protections that children have, which give them a fair chance to flourish. They come mostly from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international treaty that governments agree to. The Convention has 54 articles that explain who children are and all their rights, and how countries must protect them.
It also explains how the United Nations and other organisations, such as UNICEF, work to help people in countries know their rights. This includes telling children about their rights, and working with adults to make sure that all children can enjoy their rights.
Parents and other adults who look after children have the main responsibility to ensure that they get what they need for healthy growth and development. This means providing them with enough food, clean water and a safe place to live. It also means giving them the best possible education and ensuring that they are protected from harm. In case something goes wrong, they should be able to ask for help and have their children looked after properly, so that they can recover as quickly as possible.
Children should be able to express their opinions, thoughts and feelings freely in any way they want, as long as they do not hurt other people. Adults should listen to them and take their views seriously. They should also be able to choose their own religion and beliefs, as long as they do not interfere with the rights of other people. They should be able to meet together with friends and family, and join groups or organisations if they wish. They should be able to use the internet safely and enjoy the freedom of expression that is guaranteed in other countries, but they must be allowed to do this without being harmed.
Everyone has human rights, but children have extra rights that are based on the fact that they are the most vulnerable in society. These rights are laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children, an agreement that was drafted and agreed to in 1989, and came into force in 1990. It is the most ratified (agreed to) international human rights treaty in history, and it sets out the rights of all children from birth to the age of 18.
There are many different ways for children to grow up and develop into full, independent adults, but they all need to have access to a good education that will help them to realise their potential. They also need to be protected from all kinds of harm, such as violence and neglect; forced marriage and sexual exploitation; malnutrition; war; and poverty.
Having kids is not for everyone, but it should always be a choice. Having children can be stressful at times, but most adults who have them say that they are the greatest thing they have ever done in their lives. If we can help all adults to understand how to support the children in their care and what they need for a happy life, then we can build a better world where the future of every child is secure.