Children and their rights

“We are of our childhood as we are from a country.” – Saint-Exupéry.
For a long time, children did not receive much attention in international relations studies. After the First World War, children were seen as the future of the world and some actors began to be concerned about their fate. Discover a selection of titles in the entrance of the Library.

The origin of children’s rights

Eglantyne Jebb, a founding member of Save the Children (1919), wrote the “World Child Welfare Charter” in 1922. She submitted her text to the League of Nations, which adopted it almost unchanged as the Geneva Declaration of 1924. This Declaration stipulates that ” men and women of all nations, recognizing that mankind owes to the Child the best that it has to give”. This text focused on the responsibility of the adult towards the child and not on the rights of the child.

In 1946, the new UN General Assembly confirmed the adoption of the Geneva Declaration and established the International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.

On 20 November 1959, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child after much preparatory work.

In 1989, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This convention consists of 54 articles that set out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children wherever they are. It is also addressed to adults and governments who must ensure that children’s rights are respected.

Children in the world – current issues

The condition of the world’s children has improved, however, the figures presented by UN website confirm that the issue of children remains an international challenge.

“Almost 52 million children may die before reaching their fifth birthday between 2019 and 2030.
Children in sub-Saharan Africa will be 16 times more likely to die before their fifth birthday than children in high-income countries.
Nine out of 10 children living in extreme poverty will live in sub-Saharan Africa.
More than 60 million primary school-aged children will be out of school – roughly the same number as are out of school today. More than half will be from sub-Saharan Africa.
More than 150 million additional girls will marry before their 18th birthday by 2030.”

Call numbers you can use to start a search on children’s issues

305.23 Children. Young people (Girls; Boys; Teenagers; Child soldiers; Street children)
331.31 Child labour
342.702 Rights of the child (Child labour law)
361 Hunger. Famine (food aid)
370 Education
371 Schools. School policy
613.95 Children (health and hygiene)
613.99 Maternal and child health; Excision

You can also borrow from the selection of books displayed at the entrance of the library.

Also of interest:

At the Institute: Support for student parents

UNICEF:

Yves Denéchère , « Children’s diplomacy and the construction of children’s rights during the twentieth century », Encyclopédie d’histoire numérique de l’Europe [online], ISSN 2677-6588, published on 10/02/22, consulted on 16/03/2023.

Illustration: Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash : https://unsplash.com/photos/mv0ueHaerTg