Convention on the Rights of the Child is 20 years old

On 20 November 2009 20th anniversary of the adoption Convention on the Rights of the Child by UN General Assembly will be celebrated worldwide.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument that covers the full range of human rights of children - civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. A strong belief that people under 18 need special care and stronger protection than adults lay at the heart of setting up the Convention.

Rights of the convention and its two optional protocol (on children in armed conflict and on the sale of children) are underpinned by four core principles:

• non-discrimination,
• devotion to the best interest of the child,
• the rights to life, survival and development,
• respect for the views of the child.
  

The Convention is the most commonly ratified international instrument. Till now it has been ratified by 193 countries. The only UN member countries that have not ratified the Convention are United States and Somalia. By ratifying the Convention governments take on obligation to protect and ensure children's rights and hold themselves accountable in this respect to the international community.

Some of the events organized in Eastern Europe on the occasion of the anniversary:

• Open Space Meeting for Children on child rights and the Convention: a meeting at which children and young people will give politicians at a local and national level concrete suggestions and solutions for governance, Bulgaria, 10 - 20 November
• Weeklong media focus on child rights - a series of events about the launch of the Convention, the right to education, children left behind in migration, juvenile justice, Moldova, 20 - 26 November
• Film Festival on child rights, Ukraine
• Children's Government Parliamentary Session Supported by Romanian Prime Minister: children acting as Ministers and the Prime Minster will come up with proposals to improve the quality of life for all the children, Romania

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