Convention on the Rights of the Child

This document contains the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the first international law on children's rights and legally binding on signatory states. Children's rights are fully stipulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Drafted over 10 years with input from representatives of diverse societies, cultures, and religions, the Convention was adopted as an international human rights treaty on November 20, 1989.

The Convention, throughout its 54 articles, recognizes that children (human beings under 18 years of age) are individuals with the right to full physical, mental, and social development, and with the right to freely express their opinions. Furthermore, the Convention also serves as a model for the health, survival, and progress of all human society.