UN Declaration of the rights of the Child

Adopted by UN General Assembly Resolution 1386 (XIV) of 10 December, 1959

 

Summary

  1. All children shall be entitled to these rights, without distinction or discrimination against himself or of his family.
     
  2. The child shall:
    1. enjoy special protection,
    2. be given opportunities and facilities for healthy, normal development in freedom and dignity.
      In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.
       
  3. The child shall be entitled from his birth to a name and a nationality.
     
  4. The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security:
    1. He shall be entitled to grow and develop in health.
    2. The child and his mother are entitled to special care and protection, including adequate pre-natal and post-natal care.
    3. The child has the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services.
       
  5. Handicapped children have the right to special treatment, education and care required by their particular condition.
     
  6. Children shall have an atmosphere of love and affection and of moral and material security to develop as persons.
    1. Wherever possible, the child shall grow up in the care and under the responsibility of his parents.
    2. Except in exceptional circumstances, a young child shall not be separated from his mother.
    3. Society and the public authorities shall give particular care to:
      • children without families and
      • children without adequate means of support.
    4. It is desirable that children of large families get extra help.
       
  7. The child is entitled to receive free, compulsory education, at least in the elementary stages.
    1. Education will:
      • promote his general culture,
      • enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgement, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and
      • to become a useful member of society.
    2. The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance; that responsibility lies in the first place with his parents.
    3. The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education
    4. Society and the public authorities shall promote this right.
       
  8. The child shall always be among the first to receive protection and relief.
     
  9. The child be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. The child shall:
    1. not be trafficked.
    2. not be employed before an appropriate minimum age.
    3. not work in anything that would prejudice their health or education,
    4. not work in anything that would interfere with their physical, mental or moral development.
       
  10. The child shall be:
    1. protected from practices that foster discrimination.
    2. brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, and peace and friendship among peoples, and
    3. brought up to devote his energy and talents to the service of his fellow men.

 

Full text of rights (without prologue)

  1. All children shall be entitled to these rights, without distinction or discrimination.
     
  2. The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.
     
  3. The child shall be entitled from his birth to a name and a nationality.
     
  4. The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He shall be entitled to grow and develop in health; to this end, special care and protection shall be provided both to him and to his mother, including adequate pre-natal and post-natal care. The child shall have the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services.
     
  5. The child who is physically, mentally or socially handicapped shall be given the special treatment, education and care required by his particular condition.
     
  6. The child, for the full and harmonious development of his personality, needs love and understanding. He shall, wherever possible, grow up in the care and under the responsibility of his parents, and, in any case, in an atmosphere of affection and of moral and material security; a child of tender years shall not, save in exceptional circumstances, be separated from his mother. Society and the public authorities shall have the duty to extend particular care to children without a family and to those without adequate means of support. Payment of State and other assistance towards the maintenance of children of large families is desirable.
     
  7. The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. He shall be given an education which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgement, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society.
    The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance; that responsibility lies in the first place with his parents.
    The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavour to promote the enjoyment of this right.
     
  8. The child shall in all circumstances be among the first to receive protection and relief.
     
  9. The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. He shall not be the subject of traffic, in any form.
    The child shall not be admitted to employment before an appropriate minimum age; he shall in no case be caused or permitted to engage in any occupation or employment which would prejudice his health or education, or interfere with his physical, mental or moral development.
     
  10. The child shall be protected from practices which may foster racial, religious and any other form of discrimination.
    He shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men
     

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