CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Convention on the Rights of the Child



Convention on the Rights of the Child

Introduction

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the first international instrument that recognizes children as social actors as active owners of their own rights. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is said to have brought changes in viewing children as well. It has helped people believe that children are also active, competent human beings, not passive becomings. They are also independent right-holders human beings. They should be let involve in the issues that concern and affect them (Harvey, 2005, 234). These notions have appeared noticeably in sociologies of childhood after the introduction of the UNCRC. The Convention has been the first powerful international legal instrument to ensure the rights of children across the world. In contrast, the UNCRC has recently been criticized for not having the provision for lodging individual complaints against child right violators and being more inspirational and conditional, and less realizable. In this paper we will discuss whether the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) universally applicable or not.

Background

The discussion about the rights of children is not a recent one. The advocacy of children's rights began even before the industrial revolution. In the 1760s, Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued that children had a right to childhood and right to enjoy it, which had a marked influence in child-rearing practice. By 1830s Rousseau's ideas were initially applied by better off parents and later all reformers to all children. Around the turn of the century a considerable amount of attention was paid in the protection of children. The 'child protection' and 'compulsory school' laws were passed around everywhere in the industrialized world, particularly in the UK. In 1902 The Hague Conference on Private International Law considered 'interest of the child' as an important criterion in the convention on guardianship of minors (Alderson, 2000, 115).

Until 1918, international discussions on child labour and their protection were largely confined to Europe and areas of white settlements outside it. In 1920, Eglantyne Jebb, the president of Save the Children Fund decided to set up the Save the Children International Union. When a government signed the Convention, had to consult widely within the country on the rules of the Convention and begin to define the laws and practices that need to be harmonized with the rules of the treaty (Ennew, 2000, 22). Ratification, which was the next step, the government formally committed on behalf of the inhabitants of the country, in compliance with the obligations and responsibilities defined in the Convention.

Discussion

UNCRC is applicable to the whole universe because UN has given the facility that it can be applied to the children living in all societies and cultures and this convection is particularly related to those who had been living in adverse situations. This convection is approaching to addresses children rights in education, healthcare and other areas of concern, this is why this is universally applicable approach by ...