On November 20th, 1989 the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was signed. This Convention is a human rights treaty that lays out the various rights of children such as political, economic, social, health, civil and cultural rights. At a high level, the Convention on the Rights of the Child requires that countries act in the best interests of the child. The Convention honors the basic rights of the child such as his or her right to life, right to his or her name, right to be raised by his or her parents, etc. The Convention also acknowledges rights that are more abstract, such as the right to express one’s opinion, the right to protection (from abuse or other related factors).
To date, 195 countries around the world have signed this Convention. All member countries of the United Nations are parties to the treaty with the exception of the United States and Somalia, however the US has signed the treaty but not yet ratified it. Despite the Convention’s release in 1989, it has been signed and ratified by different countries in different years.