How we protect
Children's rights

with the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child

Home > What we do > What is the UN Convention on Child Rights?

What is the UNCRC?

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an important, legally binding agreement signed by 196 countries (as of 12 July 2022) which outlines the fundamental rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities.

The UNCRC is the basis of all of our work. It is the most complete statement of children’s rights ever produced and is the most widely-ratified international human rights treaty in history.

What is in the UNCRC?

The Convention has 54 articles that cover all aspects of a child’s life and set out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The convention is universal—these rights apply to every child and the convention entitles every child to claim them. It also explains how adults and governments must work together to make sure all children can enjoy all their rights.

Every child has rights, without discrimination of any kind against the child, parent, or legal guardian (Article 2).

We should think of the Convention as a whole: each of the rights enshrined within it is interlinked, and no right is more important than another. The following rights are of equal importance to every child. Every child has the right to:

• Relax and play (Article 31)
• Freedom of expression (Article 13)
• Be safe from violence (Article 19)
• An education (Article 28)
• Protection of identity (Article 8)
• Sufficient standard of living (Article 27)
• Know their rights (Article 42)
• Health and health services (Article 24)

We are the only o rganisation working for children r ecognised by the Convention.

The Convention is also the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world. All UN member states except for the United States have ratified the Convention. The Convention came into force in the UK in 1992.