Fundamental Rights Agency: UN Child Rights Convention marks 25 years – much achieved in the EU but more still needed
Throughout the EU, the rights of children are still not fully respected, even after 25 years of the UN’s landmark child rights convention, despite on-going efforts by EU institutions and Member States.
Violence, poverty and discrimination in accessing quality education or other services persist. This is particularly the case for children which find themselves in situations that make them vulnerable: those with disabilities or belonging to marginalised minorities, such as Roma, or those who are migrants and asylum seekers. To mark this anniversary, FRA calls on the EU and its Member States to renew their commitment to respect, protect, and fulfil in practice the rights of all children in accordance with the Convention.
“Respecting children’s rights is a legal obligation for all of us. However, and despite efforts by the EU and its Member States, violation of economic and social rights, discrimination and inequalities still persist for too many children in the EU,” said FRA Director, Morten Kjaerum, marking 25 years of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. “Europe needs to pull together to create an integrated child protection system that safeguards the rights of all children across the EU.”
