Children's footprints make their way to Downing Street
PRESS RELEASE
Date: 16.12.2011
Thousands of children across the country have sent messages to the Prime Minister on cardboard and paper footprints, to mark the start of a year of action on children's rights.
The messages will be hand delivered to Downing Street by 20 children this morning, marking the 20th anniversary of the UK making a legally binding agreement with the United Nations to uphold the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Convention gives children everywhere a wide range of rights, including to: family support; education that helps them develop fully as individuals and with respect for human rights; an adequate standard of living; the highest attainable standard of health; play and recreation; protection from all forms of violence; and the right to be heard and taken seriously. Above all, this human rights treaty requires that children be respected as human beings with views, feelings and ideas of their own.
Only two UN member states have failed to ratify the children's Convention, making it one of the most widely supported human rights treaties in the world. Unlike the UK, many countries have made the Convention on the Rights of the Child part of their domestic law.
The year of action is run by a coalition of organisations that wants greater awareness and respect for children's rights in England. Sixteen year-old Trishna Jethwa designed the coalition's logo. The design student lives in Leicester and entered a national competition held earlier in the year.
Learn more visit : www.ry4c.org.uk
SUPPORTIVE STATEMENTS FROM A
SELECTION OF RIGHT YEAR FOR CHILDREN PARTNERS
Association of Play Industries
We support the Right Year for Children campaign in its goal to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into UK law. This can only help to raise greater consideration for play in government decision-making, as well as giving children a stronger voice on their right to play.
John Croasdale, Chairman
British Youth Council
The UN Convention on Rights for the Child underpins and secures the right of the British Youth Council to exist to champion youth voices across the UK and the world we live in. It reminds everyone that when times are hard those who are most vulnerable, blameless, and dependent on others, need special attention to ensure they are safe and their voices heard. Indeed in a world where adults seem to get it wrong by accident, or treat each other badly deliberately, we need to be reminded more about the hopes of our children, whom we trust will make a better job of it in the future. With these rights we can speak up and not just prepare to be the leaders of tomorrow but be a youth of today that can help shape the future for the better.
Liam Preston, Chair
Children England
Commitment to the UNCRC is one of the universal characteristics that is shared by all of Children England’s members, no matter their size or specialism. 20 years after the UK signed up to the UNCRC, it is time for the Government to match this commitment by fully incorporating it into UK law. The Right year for Children campaign can play a key role in achieving this much delayed goal.
Kathy Evans, Deputy Chief Executive
Children's Commissioner for England
As the Children’s Commissioner for England I have a unique role as the statutory body charged to promote and protect children’s rights. When the UK Government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 20 years ago they promised to use the Convention's principles as a benchmark for the wellbeing and the best interests of all children. We now want the UNCRC recognised as a statutory instrument in this country and will press for its systematic implementation across UK legislation. We will continue to work with the Government, statutory and voluntary organisations to achieve this so all children can freely enjoy their rights.
Maggie Atkinson, Children's Commissioner for England
National Children's Bureau
The anniversary celebration of the Convention is a timely opportunity to show a national commitment to our children and young people and see them as valued members of society. We look forward to further advancing the rights of children and young people and supporting their parents’ special role as articulated in the Convention, to ensure the best outcomes for all children, young people and families. We embrace the UNCRC as a practical tool for achieving this.
Dr Hilary Emery, Chief Executive
Save the Children
It is unacceptable that 3.5 million children live in poverty in the UK today, with 1.6 million children living in severe poverty (nearly 13% of all children). Such a wholesale denial of the right to an adequate standard of living for our children shames our nation and our political leaders. The time is up for paying lip service to our international obligations on children's rights: our children deserve so much more.
Fergus Drake, Director of UK Programme
UNICEF UK
Promoting children’s rights is at the very heart of UNICEF’s work both here in the UK, and around the world. We have seen the powerful difference that a real commitment to children’s rights – from the local school to the top of government – can make to transforming children futures. At a time when economic pressures globally are putting a squeeze on family incomes, services for children, and job opportunities for young people, it is more important than ever that we protect children’s most basic rights to survive and thrive with dignity.
Anita Tiessen, Deputy Executive Director