Tanner De Witt commemorates the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

Today marks 30 years since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), a treaty recognising the unique and inherent vulnerability of children and their need for protection. It is the most widely ratified human rights treaty which has to date been ratified by 196 nations. The UNCRC was ratified by the United Kingdom in December 1991 and the treaty was extended to Hong Kong in 1994. The effect of the treaty continues following the establishment of the HKSAR and is binding on all member parties in international law.

The adoption of the UNCRC was a landmark achievement and continues to inspire the passing of and changes to countless laws and policies seeking to invest in and protect the interests of children globally.

The UNCRC promotes such rights of children as the right to education, the right to be raised by and have meaningful relationships with their parents, the right to be protected from violence, abuse, or neglect, and the right to express their opinions and be heard. These rights are to be promoted and protected irrespective of a child’s race, gender, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, or socio-economic background. Significantly, the UNCRC recognises the rights and interests of children as being independent of those of their parents.

We hope to see the positive effect of the UNCRC in respect of the advancement of children’s rights continue both in Hong Kong and around the globe.

A link to the text of the UNCRC can be found here.

A child friendly version of the UNCRC can be found here.

For more information on our Family and Private Client practice, please click here.