DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

United Nations – November 20, 1959

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have, in the Charter of the United Nations, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas the United Nations has proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status,

Whereas the child, by reason of their physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth,

Whereas the need for such special protection has been stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 and recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the statutes of specialized agencies and international organizations concerned with the welfare of children,

Whereas mankind owes to the child the best it has to give,

Now, therefore, the General Assembly proclaims this Declaration of the Rights of the Child in order that the child may have a happy childhood and enjoy the rights and freedoms set forth herein for their own good and for the good of society, and calls upon parents, men and women as individuals, voluntary organizations, local authorities, and governments to recognize these rights and to strive for their observance through legislative and other measures progressively taken in accordance with the following principles:

Principle 1

The child shall enjoy all the rights set forth in this Declaration. Every child, without any exception whatsoever, shall be entitled to these rights without distinction or discrimination on account of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status, either of themselves or of their family.

Principle 2

The child shall be given special protection and opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable them to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually, and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.

Principle 3

The child shall be entitled from birth to a name and a nationality.

Principle 4

The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. They shall be entitled to grow and develop in health. To this end, special care and protection shall be provided to the child and to the mother, including adequate pre-natal and post-natal care. The child shall have the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation, and medical services.

Principle 5

The child who is physically, mentally, or socially handicapped shall be given the special treatment, education, and care required by their particular condition.

Principle 6

The child, for the full and harmonious development of their personality, needs love and understanding. They shall, wherever possible, grow up in the care and under the responsibility of their parents, and, in any case, in an atmosphere of affection and of moral and material security. A child without a family or adequate support shall be provided with special care. The state and society shall provide assistance, especially for children from large families.

Principle 7

The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory at least in the elementary stages. They shall be given an education that promotes their general culture and enables them, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop their abilities, individual judgment, sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society.

The best interests of the child shall guide those responsible for their education and guidance; that responsibility lies in the first place with the parents. The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavor to promote the enjoyment of this right.

Principle 8

The child shall, in all circumstances, be among the first to receive protection and relief.

Principle 9

The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty, and exploitation. They shall not be the subject of traffic in any form. The child shall not be admitted to employment before an appropriate minimum age; they shall in no case be caused or permitted to engage in any occupation or employment that would prejudice their health or education or interfere with their physical, mental, or moral development.

Principle 10

The child shall be protected from practices which may foster racial, religious, or other forms of discrimination. They shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace, and universal brotherhood, and with full consciousness that their energy and talents should be devoted to the service of their fellow human beings