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| Sunday, 26 September 2004 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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All children have RIGHTS Children's day - October 1st
Rights of children are about what children are allowed to do and what the people and organisations responsible for them have to do to make them happy, healthy and safe. Of course children also have responsibilities and obligations towards adults and other children.
More than 187 countries have ratified the CRC and have made it part of their national laws. These rights apply regardless of 'race, colour, gender, language, religion, political, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, ethnic origin or handicaps. Some of your basic rights in brief * The right to a name and nationality. (Articles 7,8). On birth a child has to be registered and given a name and nationality. Now you can see how your existence depends on an identity. * A child shall not be separated from its parents without a valid reason. (The CRC outlines the reasons) and he or she has the right to know what has happened to the parents in such an event, (Articles 9,10,11). * The right to freedom of expression.
Articles 20,21 and 23 deal with foster homes and adoption and children with special abilities or differently abled children. * In a vibrant society like ours, children are trapped or lured into activities that harm them mentally and physically. Narcotic drugs is one area children are lured into and Article 33 deals with this issue.
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
You may nave often heard adults talk and fight for their rights at
workplaces, homes, on the road and even in society. What many of you may
not be aware is that ALL living creatures have rights and that means you
too ... All rights mean, obligations by the powerful towards the
powerless. By identifying rights as laws, early societies took a giant
step into civilisation.
In order to ensure that the children of the world were given their due
place in society, protected and allowed to grow in a safe and healthy
environment, the United Nations drafted a set of rights - on November 20,
1989. It is called the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child (CRC). It is an internationally accepted document today. Almost
every country including Sri Lanka accepts it and uses it as a guideline
when it comes to issues dealing with children. CRC ensures that all
children have the right to survival, development, protection and
participation.
The convention has 54 articles in all, of which 41 relate specifically
to the rights of the children. The other articles describe how the state
should report progress in implementing the convention every five years and
the procedure the states should follow to commit themselves to the CRC.The
CRC addresses the rights of children and youth under the age of 18 years,
recognises their basic human rights and gives them additional rights to
protect them from harm.
* There is even a right to a variety of information. Article 17 says.
"The State shall see to it that children and young people can get
reliable information and material from newspapers, books, radio and TV.'
Articles 19,34,39 deals with preventing abuse and malnutrition.
* Article 37 prohibits Torture, cruelty and other degrading
punishments. It also says capital punishment and life imprisonment shall
not be imposed on children. Children have a right to be protected from
work that may be harmful to their health, education or development, a
right to education, a right to good health, right to social security,
right to leisure, play and cultural activities, and a right to life.
