UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
in easy to understand language

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a document that lists all the rights that children and young people should have. It is split up into different statements. These are known as articles. The Convention has 54 articles in total.

Governments from around the world have signed up to the Convention, This means that they have promised to make all their laws to do with children and young people agree with this convention.

There are 3 basic points that all the articles in the convention are based on.

1. All the rights listed in the Convention are for all children and young people, no matter what.
2. Whatever is in the best interest of the child or young person must be considered very highly when there is a decision to be made.
3. When there is a decision being made about a child or young person, the views of that young person (how they feel and what they think should happen) must be listened to and remembered.

The Articles can be read by clicking on the links to the left.