OHCHR and children

About children and human rights

All children everywhere are entitled to human rights, fundamental freedoms, dignity and equality under international human rights law. Children's rights are enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely-ratified international human rights treaty, and its three Optional Protocols to the Convention, on involvement of children in armed conflict, on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on a communications procedure. The Committee on the Rights of the Child, a body of 18 independent child rights experts, monitors compliance with the Convention and its Optional Protocols.

OHCHR's work on children

OHCHR has a mandate to support work on children's rights in the United Nations system. The team focuses on areas of work mandated by the Human Rights Council, in particular annual reporting and activities for the annual full day meeting on the rights of the child.

This means:

• Developing policy on children's rights and mainstreaming children's rights in the United Nations system.
• Facilitating policy dialogue on children's rights at intergovernmental bodies.
• Facilitating engagement and participation of children with United Nations processes, in partnership with civil society partners.

Key areas of focus include birth registration, children and the justice system, children in street situations, children's rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, children's health, violence against children and COVID-19 and children's rights.

Key documents

UN Global Study on Children and Armed Conflict

UN Global Study on Violence against Children

UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty

Guidance Note of the Secretary General on Child Rights Mainstreaming