Convention on the Rights of the Child

 

Article 29

1. States Parties agree that the Education of the child shall be directed
to:

(a) The development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and
physical abilities to their fullest potential;

(b) The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,
and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations ;
(c) The development of respect for the child’s parents, his or her own
cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the
country in which the child is living; the country from which he or she may
originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;

(d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society,
in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and
friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and
persons of indigenous origin;

(e) The development of respect for the natural environment.

2. No part of the present article or article 28 shall be construed so as to
interfere with the liberty of individuals and bodies to establish and
direct educational institutions, subject always to the observance of the
principles set forth in paragraph 1 of the present article and to the
requirements that the Education given in such institutions shall conform to
such minimum standards as may be laid down by the State.

Article 30

In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or
persons of indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or
who is indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other
members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess
and practise his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language.

@ Article 31

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to
engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the
child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to
participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the
provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic,
recreational and leisure activity.

Article 32

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from
economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be
hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to
the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social
development.

2. States Parties shall take legislative, administrative, social and
educational measures to ensure the implementation of the present article.
To this end, and having regard to the relevant provisions of other
international instruments, States Parties shall in particular:

(a) Provide for a minimum age or minimum ages for admission to
employment;

(b) Provide for appropriate regulation of the hours and conditions of
employment;

(c) Provide for appropriate penalties or other sanctions to ensure the,
effective enforcement of the present article.

Article 33

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, including
legislative, administrative, social and educational measures, to protect
children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
as defined in the relevant international Treaties , and to prevent the use
of children in the illicit production and trafficking of such substances.

Article 34

States Parties undertake to protect the child from all forms of sexual
exploitation and sexual abuse. For these purposes, States Parties shall in
particular take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral
measures to prevent:

(a) The inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful
sexual activity;

(b) The exploitative use of children in prostitution or other unlawful
sexual practices;

The exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and
materials

Article 35

States Parties shall take all appropriate national, bilateral and
multilateral measures to prevent the abduction of, the sale of or traffic
in children for any purpose or in any form.

Article 36

States Parties shall protect the child against all other forms of
exploitation prejudicial to any aspects of the child’s welfare.

Article 37

States Parties shall ensure that:

(a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital punishment nor life
imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences
committed by persons below eighteen years of age;

(b) No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or
arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in
conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort
and for the shortest appropriate period of time;

(c) Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and
respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which
takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age. In particular,
every child deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is
considered in the child’s best interest not to do so and shall have the
right to maintain contact with his or her family through correspondence and
visits, save in exceptional circumstances;

(d) Every child deprived of his or her liberty shall have the right to
prompt access to legal and other appropriate assistance, as well as the
right to challenge the legality of the deprivation of his or her liberty
before a court or other competent, independent and impartial authority, and
to a prompt decision on any such action.

Article 38

1. States Parties undertake to respect and to ensure respect for rules of
International humanitarian law applicable to them in armed conflicts which
are relevant to the child.

2. States Parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons
who have not attained the age of fifteen years do not take a direct part in
hostilities.

3. States Parties shall refrain from recruiting any person who has not
attained the age of fifteen years into their armed forces. In recruiting
among those persons who have attained the age of fifteen years but who have
not attained the age of eighteen years, States Parties shall endeavour to
give priority to those who are oldest.

4. In accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian
law to protect the civilian population in armed conflicts, States Parties
shall take all feasible measures to ensure protection and care of children
who are affected by an armed conflict.

 

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Charter of the United Nations, Convention on the Rights of the Child, Education, International humanitarian law, Treaties, country.