HISTORY OF THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

ADOLESCENTS.

In ancient times, offering special protection to children was unthinkable,

in the Middle Ages it was believed that children were small adults until they
In the mid-19th century in France, the idea of providing this special protection was born.
to children. This allowed for the progressive development of children's rights, in
In 1841, laws began to protect children in their workplaces and more.
Forward in 1881, French laws guaranteed education as a right.
of the children and thus these laws advanced from France to all of Europe.
In 1959, the United Nations adopted a Declaration of the Rights of the
Child to protect the rights of childhood, however, this declaration does not
it was mandatory that is why in 1978 Poland presented to the United States a
new statement and several years passed between negotiations with governments of
everyone, some religious leaders, NGOs, and various institutions until the
On November 20, 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was approved.
whose compliance was mandatory for all the countries that signed
this statement.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child became law in 1990 after
to be signed by 20 countries including Mexico. As of today, the convention has
signed by all countries except the United States. The Convention on the
Children's Rights are governed by four principles that serve as guides for each
article of this convention and are the basis for the rights of children
and adolescents become a reality and these are:
❖ Non-discrimination,
❖ The best interests of the child.
❖ The right to life, survival, and development.
❖ Child participation.
In Mexico, there is also the Political Constitution of the United States.
Mexicans and the General Law on the Rights of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents
as well as institutions like the DIF which promotes the integral development of
these and promotes their social inclusion among other things. Those who protect these
rights are:
▪ Parents: they have the obligation to provide them with housing, a
▪ healthy and appropriate nutrition, and a healthy and loving environment.
▪ Teachers and adults who are in contact with children.
▪ The government authorities: have the obligation to provide security,
protection, health services and education.
 ▪ International organizations: monitor the compliance with agreements
for the protection of children around the world.

Every November 20th, Universal Children's Day is celebrated to commemorate that

Almost everyone is in favor of children's rights.

CHRONOLOGY OF CHILDREN'S RIGHTS:

1924: The League of Nations approves the Geneva Declaration on the
Children's Rights, developed by Eglantyne Jebb, founder of Save the Children
The Declaration states that all people must recognize the right
for children to have the necessary means for their development, to receive help.
especially in times of need, to have priority in rescue activities,
to enjoy economic freedom and protection against exploitation, and to access
an education that instills social awareness and a sense of duty.
1946: The United Nations General Assembly creates the International Fund
Emergency for Children, UNICEF, focused on children around the world.
1948: The United Nations General Assembly approves the Declaration
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose article 25 grants rights to mothers and the
children "special care and assistance", as well as "social protection".
1959: The United Nations General Assembly approves the Declaration of the
Children's Rights, which recognizes, among other things, the child's right to education.
the game, health care, and an environment that supports it.
1966: With the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the States
United Nations members commit to defending equality of
rights –including education and protection– for all children.
1968: The International Conference on Human Rights is held to assess
the progress of countries over the 20 years since approval
from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A program is outlined
work for the future and reinforces the commitment of countries to defense of
human rights.
1973: The International Labour Organization adopts Convention 138, which
sets the minimum age at 18 years for performing jobs that could be
dangerous to the health, safety or morals of people.
1974: In response to her concern for the vulnerability of women and children in the
emergency and conflict situations, the General Assembly calls upon the
Member States to observe the Declaration on the Protection of Women and the
Child in States of Emergency or Armed Conflict. The Declaration prohibits the
imprisonment and the attacks against women and children that are part of the
civil population, and defends the inviolability of women's rights and the
children in armed conflict contexts. 1978: The Human Rights Commission
submit a project of Convention on the Rights of the Child to the
consideration of a working group made up of Member States,
agencies, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.
1979: To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights
of the Child in 1959, the United Nations General Assembly designates the year
1979 as the International Year of the Child, during which UNICEF plays a role
a document of great importance. 1985: The Minimum Rules of the Nations
United for the Administration of Juvenile Justice explain in detail the
principles of a justice system that promotes the best interests of the child,
including education, social services, and a proportional treatment for the
detained children.
1989: The United Nations General Assembly approves the Convention on
the Rights of the Child, which recognizes the role of children as social agents,
economic, political, civil, and cultural, and is widely praised as a
historic achievement for human rights. The Convention guarantees and establishes
minimum standards to protect the rights of children in all
circumstances. The document refers to UNICEF, which collaborated in the drafting
from the Convention, as a source of specialized knowledge.
1990: The World Summit for Children is held in New York.
Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency define the strategies
aimed at preventing crime and protecting young people in high-risk situations
social risk.
1991: Experts from UNICEF, Save the Children, Defence for Children International
and other organizations gather to study the data obtained through the
reporting process of the Convention on the Rights of
Child. The meeting leads to the formal creation of the Information Network of the
Children's Rights (CRIN) in 1995.
1999: The International Labour Organization approves the Convention on the
Worst Forms of Child Labor, which demands immediate prohibition and elimination
in any form of work that may harm health, safety or the
children's morals. UNICEF has collaborated since 1996 with the Organization
International Labor Organization, promoting the ratification of labor standards
international and policies related to child labor.
2000: The United Nations General Assembly approves two Protocols
Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, which oblige to
the State Parties to take crucial measures both to prevent children
participate in hostilities during armed conflicts, such as to bring an end
the sale, exploitation, and sexual abuse of children.
2002: During the extraordinary session of the United Nations on
Childhood, children's delegates address the General Assembly for the first time.
The program 'A Suitable World for Children' is approved, which describes
specific objectives to improve the prospects of children in the course of
next decade.

2006: Together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,
UNICEF publishes the Manual for quantifying justice indicators
minors, which allows governments to assess the condition of their systems
juvenile justice and make the necessary reforms.
2010: The Secretary-General of the United Nations announces the report
titled Situation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
2011: A new Optional Protocol of the Convention is approved
Children's Rights of 1989. According to this Optional Protocol on
procedures related to communications, the Committee on Human Rights
Child can file complaints of violations of children's rights
and carry out investigations.
2015: Somalia and South Sudan ratify the Convention on the Rights of
Child. This is the most widely ratified international instrument of the
history; indeed, 196 countries have become States Parties to the
Convention. To date, only the United States has not ratified it.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
➢ History of children's rights. (n.d.). [Link]://[Link]/es/convencion-derechos-
boy/history
➢ Carranza, R. (2023, August 30). The rights of children and adolescents in Mexico, protecting
the little ones - Unknown Mexico. Unknown Mexico.
[Link]
➢ History of children's rights - Humanium. (2020, February 10). Humanium.
[Link]