The 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child for the first time enshrined the basic and mandatory requirements for dealing with children for everyone. The resolution spelled out ten fundamental principles that will be discussed in detail in this article.
On the rights of the child
The declaration consists of a preamble and a number of principles themselves. The preamble reports on the faith of the United Nations in fundamental human rights, in the value and dignity of his person. The UN is fully committed to promoting social progress and improving living standards.
The organization refers to the Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948. This document is recognized as the main source and legal basis for the implementation of the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child. The UN takes into account that the child is a creature physically and mentally immature, in need of constant care and protection. That is why it is the responsibility of adults to provide all possible assistance to children, their education and training. At the end of the document, the famous saying is declared: "Mankind is obliged to give the child the best that it has."
General principles
The Declaration of the Rights of the Child contains ten fundamental and binding rules. In the first principle, all those freedoms and rights that are specified in the 1948 declaration are assigned to children. Every child is equally vested with rights regardless of skin color, language, gender, race, religious or political beliefs, social or property status, etc. Thus, the Declaration excludes any form of discrimination.
The second principle establishes the norm according to which a child should be provided with high-quality social protection. It doesn’t matter how this protection can be implemented. It is only necessary for children to be provided with favorable conditions for physical, mental or spiritual development. A child must grow up in conditions of dignity and freedom.
The third principle of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child states the right of every born person to citizenship and name. All children from birth are provided with these elements - without any exceptions.
Social benefits
The 1959 UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child states the need for quality social security for all children without exception. This norm is fixed in the fourth principle of the document under consideration. What is meant by social security? The declaration states care for the growth and development of the child. Medical care, food, housing, education and entertainment are the main components here. Special care is needed for children who are born physically or mentally disabled. The declaration states a special regime and special care for such children.
The sixth principle of the international act establishes the need for the manifestation of love and understanding in relation to the child. Only parental love will help the harmonious development of personality. Thus, the principles of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child enshrine not only the material, but also the moral obligations of parents, guardians and guardians.
Right to education
The seventh principle of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child enshrines children's rights to education. The international act states that at least the initial stages of educational organizations should be mandatory and free.
The processes of training and education have a positive effect on the overall cultural development of the individual. A person gains the opportunity to develop his abilities and judgments. Social and moral responsibility is formed, as a result of which the individual becomes a full member of society.
Responsibility for education The declaration places the parents or legal representatives of the child. The document pays special attention to entertainment and games, which also have a positive impact on personality formation.
Child protection
The eighth principle of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (year 1959) establishes the priority of children in providing the population with medical or any other assistance. It is the child who should be given first aid.
Principle 9 secures the protection of children from negligent or harsh relationships, rudeness, exploitation, etc. Children should not work until they reach the appropriate age. The child is forbidden to engage in activities that would interfere with his education, health, physical, moral or mental development.
What enshrines the last of the ten principles of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child? The regulation proclaims the protection of children from activities or activities that might encourage religious, racial, national or other forms of discrimination. Children should be brought up in the spirit of tolerance, mutual understanding, friendship, universal brotherhood and peace. Every child must understand that human energy should be directed to the service of other people.
Geneva Declaration of Children
The ten principles of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child are not exhaustive international standards that govern child protection. There are other regulations that also enshrine and proclaim the interests and freedoms of children around the world.
One of the first declarations of children was the Geneva Convention, adopted in 1924. This document consisted of five principles that prohibited child labor, slavery, trafficking in children and prostitution of minors. The Declaration enshrines, although quite simple, but at the same time, very accurate formulas. A hungry child should be fed; the patient is cured;
a homeless person needs shelter, and an orphan needs support. The Convention enshrined the famous principle according to which a child should grow up in an atmosphere of love and care.
The 1959 Declaration of Children's Rights was built on certain provisions of the Geneva Convention .
UN Convention
The Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations in 1989. At the same time, work on the document began back in 1946 - then a special children's fund was formed under the UN. The convention has been developed for a long 30 years. Periodically, amendments were made to the text of the document, norms were changed many times, and some provisions were eliminated.
The author of the project is officially considered Polish professor A. Lopatok. The document itself consists of three parts and 54 articles. The first part establishes general provisions, the second - the rights of the child, and the third regulates the procedural and legal problems of compliance with the Convention by states. Much attention is paid in the document to the processes of education and upbringing of children. In 1993, the Russian Federation adopted the Convention. A little later, the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted.
Children's rights in Russia
The Russian Federation has ratified most of the existing international acts on the rights of children. Russian laws declare the supremacy of human rights and freedoms. Restriction of the right to education and training is prohibited. Every child has the right to professional employment or education, to rest and to protect health.
In Russia, there are measures to protect children. Thus, national federal laws protect children from propaganda of inequality, intolerance, armed conflict, violence, etc.
Does national law on child protection have any problems with international treaties? One can recall, perhaps, the last resonant case. Most recently, a number of international authorities have decided that the Federal Law of the Russian Federation "On the Prohibition of the Promotion of Homosexuality among Minors" contradicts the tenth principle of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, the UN Convention and some other acts on children. The ECHR and the UN are confident that the law creates intolerance, namely homophobia. Still, international standards are aimed at protecting children from any form of discrimination. Domestic lawmakers referred to the constitutional norm on morality (Article 55). Of course, there was another debate, but the case presented became the most striking and revealing.