This publication celebrates a milestone in human rights: the twentieth anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC acknowledged the modern understanding of childhood; it formulated what children can expect as a set of rights as distinct from welfare or kindness from adults. It enjoys widespread support from states all over the world and is the only one of the eight core human rights treaties with universal support across all 53 Commonwealth member states.

This book examines the importance of child rights and provides an overview of the key themes of the CRC. It also provides relevant statistics and data from Commonwealth countries. Much progress has been won for the rights of children in the Commonwealth yet challenges remain. In marking this anniversary of the CRC, this publication highlights the progress and achievements on child rights—outlining how far we have come and how far we still have to go.

Table of Contents:

Foreword by Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretary-General
Introduction by Dr Purna Sen
Overview of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Rights of the Child--Some Information about Children in the Commonwealth
Annex 1: Table of Ratifications CRC and Optional Protocols by Commonwealth Countries
Annex 2: The Convention on the Rights of the Child
About the Human Rights Unit