European Commission Directorate General for Inte : Democracy and human rights policy- anti-discrimination movements to defend children

On 20 November, the world celebrates Universal Children's Day, which is also the anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted in 1989.

Although most countries have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child(link is external) and its two optional protocols, many children in the world are still suffering from serious abuses. Countless children are victims of violence in their homes or are forced to live on the streets and beg; others are being sold, trafficked and used for hazardous or degrading work, e.g. in the mining sector or the sex trade.

Children that stay in care institutions - for instance because they were orphaned, face health issues or have problems with the law - have to be shielded from violence and abuses while residing in these institutions. A child-friendly juvenile justice system must be ensured.

In other cases children are recruited to actively participate in armed conflicts, and as such are exposed to extreme mental and physical pressure with a disastrous impact on their lives and further development.

Children must be protected and their rights must be promoted at all times. Encouragement is needed for third countries to sign, ratify and/or translate the Convention and its protocols into national legislation and implement them effectively.