Children's Rights Still Violated 20 Years After Convention

Nations have organized special events to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which entered into force on November 20, 1989. This is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty. Every country in the world except the United States and Somalia, has ratified it. In the days before the Convention, most of the world thought children should be seen and not heard. Now, 20 years later, some children are making their voice heard. But most remain silent and their human rights continue to be violated.
"I want to have my rights and I want to protect those who have no voice to say no," says 12-year-old Tracy from Lebanon. It is one of 23 children selected from 16 countries to come to Geneva to participate in workshops, debates and other activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention. Tracy is an active member of the Council of World Vision children in Lebanon and understands the problems facing children in her country.
"One of these problems is physical abuse of children. In school," she says, "hit them children, in their homes. And the other is sexual abuse."
Sixteen years old Fredrica says children's rights in her country, Sierra Leone, are being violated. Their situation is going from bad to worse every day.
"So many things happen to us that it is against the rights and when the Convention on the Rights of the Child puts laws, most of these laws are violated every day," she says. "So much violence, cases of trafficking of children ... Every day things are going bad, bad, worse and worse. But we hope that things get better for all children living in Sierra Leone and Africa."
Cara is 17 and a part of the youth of Canada Planned Action Council. It is an organization that works with children, families and communities to improve conditions in the developing world. Cara says she feels a special responsibility to speak on behalf of children at a disadvantage, because it comes from a country that has a stable government and a good education and health system.
"I think it is my responsibility because I have resources to help other children around the world who do not have a voice and who have not respected their rights to speak and really try to help them in any way I can be. "
Cara notes of adults do not know many children have rights. It feels duty bound to inform them, as well as children, their rights.
"Because the children should know how to protect themselves, how to stick to themselves and to fight for what is right. And adults need to know," she says. "It is equally important for them to know in order to gain their support. Because only we, we are limited to do so much, but together, if we work together to fight for rights child, then we can really have success. "
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, super-model Claudia Schiffer, actor, Ewen McGregor and Hollywood actress, Mia Farrow have been advocating for children's rights for years. They are trying to make life better for them. So is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
"With the adoption of the Convention by the General Assembly two decades ago," she says, "The international community unanimously recognized for the first time in history that children, both girls and boys also are not simply the property of their parents or of their care givers, but various individual rights. "
Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Saad Houry, the Convention calls an important event, but notes there is always a reality to live up to the vision of the document to make a safe world for all children. He says millions of children remain excluded from this dream.
"Despite economic growth in countries prominent results of the last 20 years, shocking inequalities are also increasing, with poor children left behind further."
It remains to be done to ensure children's rights are being respected. However, young people flock around the world on their dreams and believe that they can turn into reality.
Despite the success of the Convention to raise awareness for children's rights worldwide, one of the countries largest and most influential in the world has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The United States has not adopted the Convention because they fear government interference in family life and possible loss of its sovereign rights.
Also, many of the countries that have ratified the Convention have not taken any measures to implement the laws.
Supression of the rights of children and child abuse remain major problems worldwide