Why make a special case for children? ( Children Rights)

“To look into some aspects of the future, we do not need projections by supercomputers. Much of the next millennium can be seen in how we care for our children today. Tomorrow's world may be influenced by science and technology, but more than anything, it is already taking shape in the bodies and minds of our children.” – Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations .

The world community in the earliest declarations of human rights recognized the priority that should be accorded to protecting children's rights. Of course, governments must be sensitive to the rights of all their citizens – not just to those of children. But there are strong reasons for making a special case for children's rights:

Children are individuals. They have equal status with adults as members of the human family. Children are neither the possessions of parents nor of the state, nor are they mere people-in-the-making. Governments are morally obliged to recognize the full spectrum of human rights for all children. Using the Convention's definition of children as all human beings being below the age of 18, a large portion indeed of the world's population must be considered.

The healthy development of children is crucial to the future well-being of any society. UNICEF responds to the needs of children in emergency situations, but most UNICEF activities take a long-term perspective by seeking to combat the 'silent emergencies' – such as disease, malnutrition and poverty – that threaten the future of children and societies worldwide.

Children start life as totally dependent beings. Children must rely on adults for the nurture and guidance they need to grow towards independence; such nurture is ideally found in adults in children's families, but when primary caregivers cannot meet children's needs, it is up to society to fill the gap. Because they are still developing, children are especially vulnerable – more so than adults – to poor living conditions such as poverty, inadequate health care, nutrition, safe water, housing and environmental pollution and these conditions in turn jeopardize children's physical, mental and emotional development.

The actions – or inactions – of government impact children more strongly than any other group in society. Practically every area of government policy (for example, education, public health and so on) affects children to some degree – either directly or indirectly. But in many countries throughout the world, policy-making fails to take children into account, threatening their futures. Such a short-sighted approach has a negative impact on the future of all members of society by giving rise to policies that cannot work.

Children's views are rarely heard and rarely considered in the political process. Children generally do not vote and do not otherwise take part in political processes. While many States are beginning to listen seriously to children's views on many important issues – as expressed at home and in schools, in local communities and even in governments – the process of change is still in its earliest stages.

Many changes in society are having a disproportionate – and often negative – impact on children. These changes include transformation of the family structure, globalization, shifting employment patterns and a shrinking social welfare net in many countries. Children are sensitive barometers of social and economic change and the impact of those changes can be particularly devastating in situations of armed conflict and other emergencies.

The costs to society of failing its children are huge. Governments are aware of social research findings that show that children's earliest experiences – within the family and with other caregivers – significantly influence the future course of their development. The way in which children develop determines whether they will make a net contribution – or pose a huge cost – to society over the course of their lives.

The global trend of urbanization has taken an especially severe toll on children. Changes in the global economy, unfavourable weather conditions and recurring armed conflicts have led in recent years to the rapid growth of urban areas worldwide. With nearly half of the urban population in the developing world living in poverty, the plight of children often worsens when families relocate from the countryside to large cities. Dreams of improved living circumstances go unrealized following such moves, while parents and children lose support systems with the break-up of extended families. Among the most conspicuous signs of the poverty of the urban slums is the presence of children on the street – scavenging, begging, hawking and soliciting.

( Children and Adolscent Rights)

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