The United Nations (The UN) is a gathering of 192 countries. It was set up after World War II to bring about a peaceful and fair world.

The countries meet in the General Assembly, which is the closest thing to a world parliament.

Over twenty years ago, in 1989 these countries got together to say it was time to start treating human beings under the age of 18 fairly. They tried to work out a list of the things that were not fair, the wrongs done to children all around the world and make some suggestions as to how to make it right. Nearly all countries signed the list and they called these suggestions a Convention. The Convention is called…

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – the UNCRC

The Convention has 42 articles that cover all aspects of a child’s life and explain the rights that all children everywhere are entitled to.

(click here to see a full list of the articles)

These rights are there to make sure that all children and young people are

Safe

Healthy

Cared for

Able to develop and enjoy life

Articles 43-54 explains how adults and governments must work together to make sure all children can enjoy all their rights.

The UNCRC is important because lots of children around the world can’t enjoy their rights.

Let’s give you some examples…

More than 400 million children in the world do not have clean water to drink.

More than 500 million children do not have access to hygienic toilets

Each year more than 10 million children become refugees – driven from their homes

Every year nearly 6 million children die under the age of 5 from preventable diseases. That’s 16,000 children a day.

More than 120 million children can’t go to school.

More than 300 million children have never listened to the radio, watched tv, read a newspaper or used a telephone.

This convention also says that rich countries have to help poor countries achieve these rights.

Scotland is a rich country so we have to help poor countries.

Underbank Primary does this by raising money for many different charities.