The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a treaty that globally recognizes the individual rights of children. The treaty considers a child to be anyone under the age of 18 and requests that States Parties take adequate measures to ensure the rights of every child. Some of these rights include the right to a name and nationality; the freedom of speech and individual thought, access to quality education and resources that meet healthcare needs, and safety from all forms of abuse, exploitation, and neglect.
The CRC has been ratified by 195 countries, making it the most widely ratified human rights treaty in existence. However, even with past Presidential Administrations showing support for the CRC, the U.S. remains one of the only countries yet to ratify the convention.
In conjunction with the full recognition of the individual rights of children, the CRC emphasizes inclusivity as a means of eliminating discrimination. All children are entitled to their rights and opportunity no matter their race, ethnicity, social class, familial associations, religion or spiritual practice. Governments should have the responsibility in ensuring that those responsible for children meet the necessary standards that provide healthy environments ensuring opportunity and thriving for all children. The CRC recognizes that governments should allow families and communities to guide children based on the utilization of their rights, permitting for personal growth and development based on opportunity. The CRC also states that children should never be separated from their identity.
The CRC also prioritizes a child’s communication with family in cases of planned or civil separation, even across countries. The CRC holds governments responsible for child trafficking and kidnapping, enhancing preventative measures and carrying out procedural tasks of relocating children to safety. Children have the right to protection in all circumstances, including war. Children also reserve the right to recovery from injury.
With regard to the rights of parental decisions, the CRC recognizes the words and thoughts of children as important. The CRC encourages children to freely share their ideas through conversation, artistic expression, or writing, barring the harm of others by these means. Every child also reserves a right to privacy with protection from the law for families, communications, and reputation.
The CRC recognizes parents as the main group responsible for the safety of a child, respecting the choices, traditions, and family customs chosen to be taught, granted they are deemed ethical. Children without parents reserve every right highlighted by the CRC, holding caregivers and governmental forces responsible in these cases, this includes refugee children. Children in poor families should be entitled to economic assistance, ensuring that the child’s needs for clothing and shelter are also adequate. Every child deserves education. Higher education options should be provided and negotiated on a case by case basis with consideration of the individual child’s needs, goals, and abilities. Governments and parents should be obligated to respect these rights.
Past congressional authorities and presidential administrations have communicated mixed feelings about the ratification of the CRC. The U. S. recognizes rights on the state level, with the federal governmental structure superseding this leadership. The federal government respects the interests of different states in an attempt to enhance the individual rights of our people and past leadership has feared that ratifying the CRC could jeopardize that. This is not to mention that the U. S. also has generally adequate laws and regulations regarding the enforcement of safety for our children with citizenship.
While some fear ratifying the CRC could jeopardize our individual freedoms, on the contrary, the ratification would only advance structures that uphold American values of the safety and thriving of our youth. What skeptics neglect to recognize is the CRC’s emphasis on respecting parental structures, and the government only threatening interference in cases of neglect or abuse against children. Recent reports by the Department of Homeland Security state that with recent lenient border policies, there are about 300,000 undocumented children in the U.S. whose locations are unknown, or are missing. To name an example of the potential effectiveness in enhancing American values, the ratification of the CRC would hold the U.S. government to the developing worldwide standard in ensuring the safety and protection of these children.
The ratification of the CRC by the U.S. would serve as an advancement in the embracing of mixed cultural values, the enhancement of nurturing environments, and the safety of children. Following the accession, our country could look to observational outcomes as the CRC requires annual reported evidence. American values recognize freedoms and individuality, which is also recognized by the CRC. Write to our President and state officials about your concerns for our country’s children and help the mission for an adequate global standard of child rights as promoted by CRC.