Child's rights
The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out the fundamental principles of children's right to survival, equality, development, protection and participation.
The IOPDHR attaches paramount importance to respect for the principle of the best interests of the child, which stipulates that the child's well-being must prevail in all situations, and this is a central pillar of its actions.
However, it is worrying to note that this Convention has not been ratified by Somalia and the United States, in particular because of the persistence of the death penalty in certain states, which can also affect children. The need to combat these violations is pressing, as many attacks continue to be perpetrated. The Observatory focuses on issues such as abduction, child trafficking and everyday violence, seeking to address these concerns on a global scale.
According to UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, more than 177 million children are currently affected by humanitarian crises that compromise their most basic needs. IOPDHR is determined to combat this widespread and criminal violence in order to improve the situation of children throughout the world.
The 2000 Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict prohibits the recruitment of children as soldiers. This includes providing them with weapons of war, exploiting them for domestic or sexual purposes, or involving them in any way in a country's war efforts.
IOPDHR strongly condemns these actions, which unfortunately continue in many countries, such as Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Palestine, as well as in the Tindouf camps in south-west Algeria.
For more information, please consult: