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Friday 20 November 2009 - 20 years have passed since world leaders recognised the need for a special set of rights to protect children. The Convention has become the most universally accepted and widely ratified human rights treaty, yet at this time of celebration Save the Children highlights the need to ensure children are able to challenge violations to their rights.

“We’ve come a long way since 1989 and important issues such as child labour, violence against children, child soldiers and sexual exploitation, have been highlighted on the international agenda – and progress has been made. “ says Save the Children New Zealand Chief Executive Liz Gibbs.

But while there has been a shift in perception of child rights, there is still no international mechanism for children to be able to complain when their rights have been violated, or, in most countries, a way that children can challenge violations of their rights in a court of law. Save the Children emphasises the need to look ahead to the remaining challenges at this important moment for children.

“90 years ago our founder, Eglantyne Jebb, developed the concept of children’s rights which formed the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It’s at the heart of everything we do – and there is much to do. Here in New Zealand we have the fourth-worst child murder rate in the OECD at 0.9 deaths for every 100,000” said Gibbs,

“We know that children are often more vulnerable to abuse and harm, yet we see adults are more easily able to access remedies when their rights are violated. It’s time to stop seeing the Convention as an aspirational goal and start viewing children’s rights as binding legal obligations.”

Save the Children supports the development of a third optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child which will introduce a complaints mechanism, so children are able to challenge violations to their rights. Save the Children is also highlighting the need for the Convention to be more readily used as a legal instrument in courts.

For further information, please contact Nicole Were, Communications Advisor, Save the Children New Zealand, nicole.were@savethechildren.org.nz 04 381 7573 / 029 200 9348