Convention
on the Rights of the Child

For the purposes of the present Convention, a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, major ...

States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any ki ...

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the ...

In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislati ...

States Parties undertake to ensure the child such protection and care as is necessary for his or her well-being, taking into account the rights and duties of h ...

States Parties shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform with the standards ...

States Parties shall undertake all appropriate legislative, administrative, and other measures for the implementation of the rights recognized in the present C ...

States Parties shall respect the responsibilities, rights and duties of parents or, where applicable, the members of the extended family or community as provid ...

States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life. Convention on the Rights of the Child | PART I | Article 6 | 1

States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child. Convention on the Rights of the Child | PART I | Artic ...

The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and. as far as possible ...

States Parties shall ensure the implementation of these rights in accordance with their national law and their obligations under the relevant international ins ...

States Parties undertake to respect the right of the child to preserve his or her identity, including nationality, name and family relations as recognized by l ...

Where a child is illegally deprived of some or all of the elements of his or her identity, States Parties shall provide appropriate assistance and protection, ...

States Parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will, except when competent authorities subject to judici ...

In any proceedings pursuant to paragraph 1 of the present article, all interested parties shall be given an opportunity to participate in the proceedings and m ...

States Parties shall respect the right of the child who is separated from one or both parents to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both paren ...

Where such separation results from any action initiated by a State Party, such as the detention, imprisonment, exile, deportation or death (including death ari ...

In accordance with the obligation of States Parties under article 9, paragraph 1, applications by a child or his or her parents to enter or leave a State Party ...

A child whose parents reside in different States shall have the right to maintain on a regular basis, save in exceptional circumstances personal relations and ...

States Parties shall take measures to combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad.Convention on the Rights of the Child | PART I | Articl ...

To this end, States Parties shall promote the conclusion of bilateral or multilateral agreements or accession to existing agreements. Convention on the Righ ...

States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the ch ...

For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, eit ...

The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regar ...

The exercise of this right may be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:(a) For respect of the ...

States Parties shall respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Convention on the Rights of the Child | PART I | Article ...

States Parties shall respect the rights and duties of the parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of h ...

Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, orde ...

States Parties recognize the rights of the child to freedom of association and to freedom of peaceful assembly. Convention on the Rights of the Child | PART ...

Convention on the Rights of the Child | PART I | Article 15 | 2

No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his or he ...

 The child has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. Convention on the Rights of the Child | PART I | Article 16 | 2

States Parties recognize the important function performed by the mass media and shall ensure that the child has access to information and material from a diver ...

States Parties shall use their best efforts to ensure recognition of the principle that both parents have common responsibilities for the upbringing and develo ...

For the purpose of guaranteeing and promoting the rights set forth in the present Convention, States Parties shall render appropriate assistance to parents and ...

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that children of working parents have the right to benefit from child-care services and facilities ...

States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or menta ...

Such protective measures should, as appropriate, include effective procedures for the establishment of social programmes to provide necessary support for the c ...

A child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment, or in whose own best interests cannot be allowed to remain in that environment, s ...

States Parties shall in accordance with their national laws ensure alternative care for such a child. Convention on the Rights of the Child | PART I | Artic ...

Such care could include, inter alia, foster placement, kafalah of Islamic law, adoption or if necessary placement in suitable institutions for the care of chil ...

States Parties that recognize and/or permit the system of adoption shall ensure that the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration and t ...

States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure that a child who is seeking refugee status or who is considered a refugee in accordance with applicabl ...

For this purpose, States Parties shall provide, as they consider appropriate, co-operation in any efforts by the United Nations and other competent intergovern ...

States Parties recognize that a mentally or physically disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self-rel ...

States Parties recognize the right of the disabled child to special care and shall encourage and ensure the extension, subject to available resources, to the e ...

Recognizing the special needs of a disabled child, assistance extended in accordance with paragraph 2 of the present article shall be provided free of charge, ...

States Parties shall promote, in the spirit of international cooperation, the exchange of appropriate information in the field of preventive health care and of ...

States Parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness an ...

States Parties shall pursue full implementation of this right and, in particular, shall take appropriate measures: (a) To diminish infant and child mortalit ...

States Parties shall take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children. Conv ...

States Parties undertake to promote and encourage international co-operation with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the right recognize ...

States Parties recognize the right of a child who has been placed by the competent authorities for the purposes of care, protection or treatment of his or her ...

States Parties shall recognize for every child the right to benefit from social security, including social insurance, and shall take the necessary measures to ...

The benefits should, where appropriate, be granted, taking into account the resources and the circumstances of the child and persons having responsibility for ...

States Parties recognize the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development. ...

The parent(s) or others responsible for the child have the primary responsibility to secure, within their abilities and financial capacities, the conditions of ...

States Parties, in accordance with national conditions and within their means, shall take appropriate measures to assist parents and others responsible for the ...

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to secure the recovery of maintenance for the child from the parents or other persons having financial respo ...

States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they ...

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity and i ...

States Parties shall promote and encourage international cooperation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimina ...

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 a ...

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 education ...

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 indig ...

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 p ...

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 appropr ...

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 in ...

States Parties shall take legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to ensure the implementation of the present article. To this end, and ha ...

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, including legislative, administrative, social and educational measures, to protect children from the illici ...

States Parties undertake to protect the child from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. For these purposes, States Parties shall in particular ta ...

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 ...

States Parties shall protect the child against all other forms of exploitation prejudicial to any aspects of the child's welfare. Convention on the Rights o ...

States Parties shall ensure that: (a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital p ...

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

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. ...

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 person ...

In accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect the civilian population in armed conflicts, States Parties shall take all ...

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to promote physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of a child victim of: any form of ne ...

States Parties recognize the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent ...

To this end, and having regard to the relevant provisions of international instruments, States Parties shall, in particular, ensure that: (a) No child shall ...

States Parties shall seek to promote the establishment of laws, procedures, authorities and institutions specifically applicable to children alleged as, accuse ...

Nothing in the present Convention shall affect any provisions which are more conducive to the realization of the rights of the child and which may be contained ...

States Parties undertake to make the principles and provisions of the Convention widely known, by appropriate and active means, to adults and children alike. ...

1. For the purpose of examining the progress made by States Parties in achieving the realization of the obligations undertaken in the present Convention, there ...

1. States Parties undertake to submit to the Committee, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, reports on the measures they have adopted which gi ...

In order to foster the effective implementation of the Convention and to encourage international co-operation in the field covered by the Convention: (a) Th ...

The present Convention shall be open for signature by all States. Convention on the Rights of the Child | PART III | Article 46

The present Convention is subject to ratification. Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Conventi ...

The present Convention shall remain open for accession by any State. The instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United N ...

1. The present Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit with the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the twe ...

1. Any State Party may propose an amendment and file it with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary-General shall thereupon communicate the ...

1. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall receive and circulate to all States the text of reservations made by States at the time of ratification or ...

A State Party may denounce the present Convention by written notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Denunciation becomes effective one ye ...

The Secretary-General of the United Nations is designated as the depositary of the present Convention. Convention on the Rights of the Child | PART III | Ar ...

The original of the present Convention, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with ...