November 20th is World Children's Rights Day.
This day was established in conjunction with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, drafted by the United Nations General Assembly on November 20, 1989. Yet, famine, wars, and poverty persist: even today, there are far too many children who cannot live a life worthy of the rights they deserve.
It is therefore important, on this occasion, to remember the pillars, the four fundamental principles on which the convention is based:
- Non-discrimination (art. 2). All rights promoted by the Convention are guaranteed for all minors in the world, of any gender, race, language, or religion.
- Best interests of the child (art. 3). In every situation and in any law or provision, the best interests of the child are essential and must represent the priority.
- Right to life, survival and development of the child and adolescent (art. 6). Each Nation is required to commit itself by all possible means to guarantee the health and healthy growth of all children.
- Respect for the views of the child (art. 12). The opinion of the child is important and must be respected in all decision-making processes concerning them. Therefore, institutions and adults are required to request it, listen to it, and take it into account on every occasion.
Article 38. Every child has the right to be protected from war.
Today, particular attention is focused on Article 38 of the Convention, which speaks clearly and openly denounces that, even today, we are unable to guarantee protection and safety to innocent children.
The violation of this right effectively denies all the others as well. For a child experiencing the horror of war, there are no protections of any kind, neither for their health and education, nor against hunger and poverty. Above all, their rights to life and to a healthy, prosperous and happy upbringing are not protected.
SAFETY AND A FUTURE. This is the simplest and most important thing we can guarantee our children. We practically take them for granted every day, yet reality is showing us that there is still a long way to go to live in a world free from violence and war.
