Commissioner: Celebrate Children's Rights
Media Release
20 November 2009
Children’s rights
and opinions are to be celebrated for enriching New Zealand
society, Children’s Commissioner Dr John Angus said
today.
Today, the 20th birthday of the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) will be
celebrated at an afternoon tea event hosted by Her
Excellency Lady Satyanand at Government House in
Auckland.
“UNCROC is the first international human
rights treaty setting out universal standards for children
and young people,” Dr Angus said. “It protects children
and young people and makes sure their voices are heard.
“While children and young people have the same
fundamental human rights as adults, UNCROC takes into
account their vulnerability as a population group. It is
important in ensuring children and young people’s best
interests are not overlooked and are in fact, paramount when
decisions are made that affect their health and
wellbeing.
“Children’s rights are not in conflict
with the rights of adults in their lives. In fact, their
rights to be listened to and taken seriously and to
participate in the decision making process should be seen as
important and enriching New Zealand society. It is
ultimately their future that is most often affected by such
decisions.
“This 20th birthday is an opportunity to
recognise the work of early children’s rights pioneers and
visionaries and to recommit to making children’s rights
and wellbeing a reality for all children and young people in
New Zealand.”
UNCROC is the most widely endorsed human rights treaty in history and has been ratified by 193 states to date. It applies to children and young people aged 17 years and below. On ratifying the convention, a government is required to turn its attention to the practical implications of helping children and young people achieve and enjoy these rights in a meaningful way. New Zealand, along with other member states of the United Nations, adopted UNCROC in principle in November 1989 and formally ratified it in March 1993.
ENDS