20 November, World Children’s Day: defending the rights of young children! 

World Children’s Day is celebrated on 20 November, a symbolic occasion marking the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which established the foundations for children’s rights worldwide.

Did you know that the Convention is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world? It guarantees children’s rights to life, health, education and play, to family, protection from violence and discrimination, and the right to have their voices heard. 

20 November is the perfect moment to celebrate the educational work of our incredible local managers throughout the year! 

SUPPORTING EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

 “States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.”

Article 32 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 

In 2020, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF reported that 160 million children worldwide were working in conditions that fall short of international standards, including 79 million in hazardous work. 

After decades of a slow decline, child labour worldwide has recently started to rise again. UNICEF links this increase to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis that followed. 

In Southeast Asia, millions of children have to work while going to school. Educational sponsorship gives them the support they need to remain in school.