The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, or the CRC for short, is an international treaty that recognizes the full range of children’s human rights—civil, cultural, economic, political, and social. The CRC was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989 and then sent to individual countries for ratification.
As you may know, since that time every country in the world has ratified (or announced the intent to ratify) the CRC, with one significant exception: the United States of America. The story of why the US is the lone country in the world to refuse to ratify this groundbreaking articulation of children’s human rights is a long and complex one. However, the primary reason has been widespread misconception and misinformation about the CRC and its impact.
Like many other US organizations working to promote children’s rights, ICRI supports ratification of the CRC. We believe that the CRC is an important tool for children’s advocates, and we want the US to stand with other nations in protecting and supporting the world’s children.
We have been pleased to collaborate with a diverse array of children’s organizations around the country who have banded together to work towards finally achieving ratification of the CRC. In November 2009 we were honored to co-host a panel discussion on the CRC’s impact at San Francisco State University, and to participate in the official 20th Anniversary Celebration at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland.
To learn more about the CRC, and to find out what you can do to support ratification, please visit www.childrightscampaign.org.
