Convention on the Rights of the Child

Adopted on November 20, 1989, by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is comprised of 54 articles and two Optional Protocols. This document, grounded in broader discourses of human rights, was prompted by an understanding of the vulnerable position of children in most societies and the desire to ensure that the social, cultural, political, economic, and legal rights of individuals under the age of 18 are both recognized and respected. The CRC went into effect on September 2, 1990, after receiving the required number of ratifications. At present, 194 countries have ratified the convention including all member countries of the United Nations except the United States and Somalia. The CRC is significant because it is a ...