The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: Every Child's Rights Protected
Updated: November 2025
Every child, no matter where they live or what their circumstances, has fundamental rights. Not privileges that can be taken away, but fundamental human rights that belong to them simply because they're children.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sets out exactly what those rights are—and what governments must do to protect them.
Adopted in 1989, the UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. 196 countries have signed up to it, making it a truly global commitment to children. It covers everything from the right to education and healthcare to protection from violence and the right to have a say in decisions affecting their lives.
All countries that sign up to the UNCRC are bound by international law to ensure it is implemented. This is monitored by the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The UNCRC is also the only international human rights treaty to give non-governmental organisations (NGOs), like Save the Children, a direct role in overseeing its implementation, under Article 45a.
At Save the Children, the UNCRC is the foundation for everything we do. Our founder, Eglantyne Jebb, pioneered the concept of children's rights when she drafted the first Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1923—a groundbreaking document adopted by the League of Nations in 1924 that laid the groundwork for the UNCRC 65 years later.
Today, we use the Convention to hold governments accountable and push for the changes children need most.
What is the UNCRC?
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is a legally-binding international agreement setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities.
Four guiding principles
Four principles run through all 54 articles of the UNCRC. These aren't just ideas—they're requirements that should guide every decision affecting children:
1. Non-discrimination (Article 2)
Every child has these rights, regardless of their race, religion, abilities, family background, or any other status. No child should face discrimination.
2. Best interests of the child (Article 3)
When adults make decisions—whether in courts, Parliament, or local councils—they must consider what's best for children. This principle should guide policy, not be an afterthought.
3. Right to life, survival, and development (Article 6)
Children have the right not just to survive, but to develop to their full potential. That means access to healthcare, education, nutrition, and safe environments.
4. Respect for the views of the child (Article 12)
Children have the right to express their views and have them taken seriously in matters affecting them. This isn't about giving children control over adult decisions—it's about listening to their experiences and perspectives.
Understanding Children's Rights
The UNCRC consists of 54 articles that set out children’s rights and how governments should work together to make them available to all children. The first 41 set out children's rights. Articles 42-54 explain how governments and international organizations should work to ensure children benefit from these rights.
Under the terms of the convention, governments are required to meet children’s basic needs and help them reach their full potential. Central to this is the acknowledgment that every child has basic fundamental rights.
The four guiding principles above run through everything, but the Convention also covers specific areas of children's lives:
Survival and development: Every child's right to life, healthcare, adequate nutrition, clean water, and a safe environment (Articles 6, 24, 27)
Education: Every child's right to education that helps them develop their personality, talents, and abilities, and that prepares them for life in a free society (Articles 28, 29)
Protection from harm: Protection from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and harmful work (Articles 19, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
Family life: The right to live with parents when possible, or to receive good alternative care when needed, respecting the child's culture, religion, and language (Articles 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 18, 20, 21)
Identity and participation: The right to a name, nationality, and identity; freedom of expression and thought; and the right to have their views heard on matters affecting them (Articles 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 30, 31)
Special protection: Additional rights for refugee children, disabled children, children affected by armed conflict, and children in the justice system (Articles 22, 23, 38, 39, 40)
You can read all the rights in detail in our child-friendly version of the UNCRC, which explains them in language young people can understand. Article 42 actually requires governments to make children aware of their rights—so we've made sure the Convention itself is accessible to them.
In 2000, two optional protocols were added to the UNCRC. One asks governments to ensure children under the age of 18 are not forcibly recruited into their armed forces. The second calls on states to prohibit child prostitution, child pornography and the sale of children into slavery. These have now been ratified by more than 120 states.
A third optional protocol was added in 2011. This enables children whose rights have been violated to complain directly to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
How does Save the Children support children's rights?
At Save the Children, we hold governments accountable to their UNCRC commitments. That means:
Monitoring progress: We track how well the UK and other countries are implementing children's rights and highlight gaps. Our evidence and research help show where children's rights aren't being realized and what needs to change.
Amplifying children's voices: We support children to speak directly to decision-makers about issues affecting them, ensuring Article 12 isn't just words on paper. From our Youth Advisory Board to project-specific youth panels, we create spaces where children's perspectives shape our work and influence policy.
Pushing for policy change: Whether it's our work to end child poverty in the UK or our global advocacy on ending violence against children, the UNCRC gives us the framework to demand better.
Working in partnership: We collaborate with children, communities, and local organizations around the world to make rights real in everyday life. In 2024, we worked with over 400 different organizations in the UK alone, all focused on improving children's lives.
Responding to emergencies: When crisis hits—whether conflict in Gaza or drought in Somalia—we provide immediate lifesaving support while ensuring children's rights remain at the center of the response. In 2024, our global movement directly supported 41.2 million children in 93 countries.
The UNCRC provides the blueprint. Our work—alongside partners, supporters, and most importantly, children themselves—turns those principles into reality.
We're calling on all governments to recommit to the UNCRC by focusing on three key areas:
- Ensuring all laws fully comply with the UNCRC.
- Increased government spending on children
- Establishing an independent ombudsman for child rights
Why This Matters Today
The UNCRC isn't just a historical document—it's a working tool for change right now.
In 2024, we launched our Child Lock campaign, calling on the UK government to protect children by ensuring investment in their wellbeing keeps pace with the cost of living. This campaign is rooted in Article 27—every child's right to an adequate standard of living. Young people with lived experience of poverty helped shape the campaign, embodying Article 12's requirement that children's views be heard and taken seriously.
We also ran Our Generation. Our Vote with 21 youth organizations, enabling children in England and Wales to learn about politics and participate in a children's election. Nearly 23,000 votes were cast. This work directly supports Article 12 and Article 13—children's rights to express their views and access information that affects them.
Globally, the UNCRC guides our work in 93 countries. In 2024, we supported 12 young advocates from nine countries to present their Call for Action at the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Colombia. They demanded political leaders commit to ending violence against children once and for all—bringing Article 19 to life on the world stage.
Our founder, Eglantyne Jebb, believed that "every generation of children offers mankind the possibility of rebuilding his ruin of a world." That conviction led her to draft the first Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1923—a groundbreaking document adopted by the League of Nations in 1924. It became the foundation for the UNCRC 65 years later.
Today, we continue that legacy by holding governments accountable to their promises to children and amplifying children's voices in the decisions that affect them.
Your Questions Answered
Is the UNCRC law in the UK?
The UK is bound by the UNCRC under international law, but it hasn't been fully incorporated into domestic legislation in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. Scotland passed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act in December 2023, after revising an earlier 2021 version following a UK Supreme Court ruling. This makes Scotland the first UK nation to directly incorporate the UNCRC into domestic law, though full implementation is still being rolled out.
This means you can't sue the UK government in most UK courts solely for breaching UNCRC rights, but courts do consider it when interpreting existing laws about children.
What's the difference between the 1923 Declaration and the UNCRC?
Eglantyne Jebb's 1923 Declaration of the Rights of the Child contained five principles focused on children's basic needs—food, shelter, healthcare, and protection. The UNCRC expanded this into 54 articles covering civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. While Jebb's declaration was groundbreaking for its time, the UNCRC goes much further in defining what children are entitled to and what governments must do.
What happens when children's rights are violated?
When governments fail to uphold UNCRC obligations, organisations like Save the Children report this to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Committee reviews progress and issues recommendations. Within the UK, violations of existing laws that align with UNCRC rights can be challenged through normal legal channels.
Can children read the UNCRC themselves?
Yes! We've created a child-friendly version that explains the rights in language young people can understand. Article 42 of the UNCRC actually requires governments to make children aware of their rights.
How You Can Support Children's Rights
Understanding children's rights is the first step. Here's how you can go further:
Stay informed: Follow our work and learn about the challenges children face in the UK and around the world.
Speak up: When you see policies or decisions that don't put children first, contact your MP and reference the UNCRC. Political pressure works.
Support our campaigns: Join our current campaigns for children—from ending child poverty to protecting children in conflict zones. Your voice adds to the collective call for change.
Donate: Every donation helps us hold governments accountable and make children's rights real. Support our work today.
Amplify children's voices: Listen to young people in your life and community. Help ensure their views reach decision-makers who need to hear them.
The UNCRC shows us what's possible when we put children first. Together, we can turn those principles into reality for every child.
