Convention on the Rights of the Child

The human rights of children and young people (up to the age of 18) and the standards to which governments must aspire in realising these rights, are articulated in an international human rights treaty: the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention is the most universally accepted human rights instrument - it has been ratified by every country in the world except two, the United States and Somalia. By ratifying this instrument, governments have committed themselves to protecting and promoting children and young people' s rights.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations. It spells out the basic human rights that children and young people everywhere - without discrimination - have: