Today is World Children’s Day. We celebrate the United Nations’ historic adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1989, creating the foundation for a child-friendly society. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the human rights treaty ratified by most countries and guarantees all children worldwide universal rights to protection, support and participation.
“The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a milestone in the history of humanity,” says Bettina Junker, Executive Director of UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein. “The Convention stipulates that children are independent personalities with very special rights.”
UNICEF is wholly committed to standing up for children’s rights worldwide – today, November 20 and every day. With the campaign “Day of Children’s Rights, Day of…”, UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein points to the wide spectrum of children’s rights: The Convention on the Rights of the Child comprises 54 Articles referring to all aspects of child welfare. They include the right to the best possible development, the right to protection from violence and exploitation, the right to education and healthcare, and the right to be taken seriously and listened to.
“Children’s rights are not just important for children in developing countries. There is also still much work to be done in Switzerland and Liechtenstein in the implementation of children’s rights,” says Bettina Junker. For example, many children are subjected to violence or are marginalized. There are also children living in poverty. And we have still not succeeded in giving priority to the welfare of children and young people in our politics and society.
On World Children's Day, UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein calls on everyone to stand up for children’s rights. “Everyone can contribute to making children’s rights a reality,” says Bettina Junker. “We can, for example, speak up when we see that children’s rights are being violated and that children are not being taken seriously. And we can donate, or volunteer our time.”
UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein has various materials to promote awareness of children’s rights. The new, colorful poster with the children’s rights icons can be ordered free of charge.
