WORLD CHILDREN'S DAY - International Day for Childhood and Adolescence Rights - Massimo Ruggero President of Club for UNESCO in Genoa

 

WORLD CHILDREN'S DAY

International Day for Childhood and Adolescence Rights

World Childhood Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Childhood Day. It is celebrated on November 20 every year to promote international union, awareness among children around the world and improving the welfare of children.

November 20 is an important date as it is the date of 1959 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declare of Rights of the Childhood. It's also the date of 1989 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Childhood. Since 1990, World Childhood Day also marks the anniversary of the date on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted both the Declarations and the Convention on Children's Rights. Mothers and fathers, teachers, nurses and doctors, government leaders and activists of civil society, religious and community seniors, corporate moguls and media professionals, as well as young people and children themselves, can play an important role in making World Childhood Day relevant for their society, communities and nations. World Childhood Day offers each of us an inspiring entry point to support, promote and celebrate children's rights, resulting in dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children. This year, the COVID-19 crisis caused a child's rights crisis. Pandemic costs for children are immediate and, if not faced, can last a lifetime. Time for generations to come together to reinvent the kind of world we want to create. Children will reinvent a better world on November 20

Together with the adoption of the convention, on November 20 every year, we celebrate World Children's Rights Day

A little over 30 years ago, the convention was adopted that for the first time recognized children as civil, social, political, cultural and economic rights holders: the UN Convention on the Rights of Childhood and Adolescence. It was approved by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989 and ratified by Italy on 27 May 1991.

The first article reads: ′′ Under this Convention ′′ means any human being under the age of 18 and continues to list a series of debates and compromises regarding the protection of the child even before birth.

This represents an exceptional legal text, composed of 54 articles which contain four fundamental principles:

* Non-discrimination: rights enshrined in the Convention must be guaranteed to all minors, without distinction.

* Superior interest of the child: in every law, provision, public or private initiative and in every problematic situation, the interest of the child / teenager must take priority.

* Right to life, survival and development: States must commit maximum resources available to protect the lives and healthy development of children, including through cooperation between States.

* Listening to the child's opinions: it provides for the right of children to be heard in all decision-making processes that affect them, and the corresponding duty for adults to take their opinions properly into consideration.

Together with the adoption of the convention, on November 20 every year, we celebrate World Children's Rights Day because it's thanks to this document that underage people from almost every country in the world are now defended and protected.

Today, Italy reaffirms its unconditional commitment to protect and promote the rights of all children, especially those living in contexts of vulnerability, such as conflict, underdevelopment and humanitarian emergencies.

Italy condemns the physical and psychological abuse and violence that hundreds of millions of children are still subjected to today, with serious consequences for their physical and psychological development.

Massimo Ruggero

President of Club for UNESCO in Genoa