LIVE is committed to helping all children, youth and young adults achieve their full potential- by ensuring they grow up healthy, receive a good education, stay safe, and thrive with a bright future. .
Many children across Australia are denied their rights, simply because of who they are, or where they are from, or simply because they are dependent and vulnerable. We know that to ensure every child has the chance for a future, their rights must be upheld.
Through our advocacy and education, we put the most vulnerable children first, tackling the barriers to survival, learning and protection.
When young people are educated about their rights, they are better equipped to stand up to injustice for themselves, and for others.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child ('CRC') is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history...
Following the aftermath of the world wars of the 20th century and their destructive impact on children, the United Nations (UN) decided that the human rights of children required special focus and protections..
After WWI, the League of Nations (later to become the UN) drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which included the rights to life, food, shelter, education, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion, justice, and peace.
Understanding that children were especially vulnerable, the UN agreed to adopt the Declaration of Geneva on Children’s Rights. This declaration was short with only five statements, but it outlined a list of responsibilities towards children who were considered vulnerable.
After WWII, the UN General Assembly accepted the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This declaration paved the way for the adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Child in 1989, which became the first legally binding international text to protect children’s rights.
The human rights of every person under 18 years old is the focus of these rights.
The main international human right treaty is called the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which Australia ratified and so came into force in December 1990.
Central to the CRC is that every person under 18 years of age has basic civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. These include:
Other Important Treaties Working for the Rights of the Child include:
In addition to the CRC, Australia has also agreed to uphold the rights set out in the following treaties which each compliment the CRC with respect to rights of the child:
Check out the following links for free downloadables:
UNICEF has a child-friendly version of the CRC on its website
The Human Rights Commission of Australia has a downloadable CRC poster for kids of all ages
Download the poster courtesy of Save the Child and have fun learning more about how Australia can meet its obligations to these essential rights of the child.
International Youth Day, August 12 2022 - A day for reflection, but also a day for taking action - so get involved
The theme of International Youth day 2022 is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation For Human And Planetary Health “, focusing on the issue and highlighting that no effort could be successful without the participation of youth.
International Youth Day was created by the UN to help draw awareness to the issues our youth face as we strive to find solutions.
International Youth Day began in 2000 and was organized by the UN to recognize the input that young people make in education, community development, environmental groups, volunteering for different social projects.
It has been acknowledged that there is a need for inclusive support mechanisms that ensure youth continue to amplify efforts collectively and individually to restore the planet and protect life, while integrating biodiversity in the transformation of food systems.
Half the children between the age of six and 13 lack basic reading and math skills and childhood poverty is still a prevalent problem globally.
With the world’s population expected to increase by 2 billion people in the next 30 years, it has become recognised that simply producing a larger volume of healthier food more sustainably will not ensure human and planetary wellbeing.
Other crucial challenges must also be addressed, such as poverty reduction; social inclusion; health care; biodiversity conservation; and climate change mitigation.
Universal Children’s Day is celebrated annually on 20th November. The goal of Universal Children’s Day is to improve child welfare worldwide, promote and celebrate children’s rights and advance togetherness and awareness amongst children.
Initially launched in 1954, Universal Children’s Day has seen some milestone events in the field of child welfare. The date marks the anniversary of the dates when the UN General Assembly adopted both the Declaration and Convention of Children’s Rights.
To celebrate Universal Children’s Day, a wide range of events take place worldwide in government, business, school, charity and home places. It is a fun day but carries a serious message by the UN, it is a time children get the opportunity to appear in media, politics and sports to raise awareness of challenges faced by children around the world.
Celebrate #WorldChildrensDay on social media ; Use the hashtag #World Children's Day
