Despite some acknowledgement over the years of the significance of seeing children as rights holders, children’s concerns continue to run the risk of not being considered political and mainstream: they continue to be viewed as extensions of adults or simply as members of families and communities. This when the reality is that children are citizens the minute they are born, and entitled to as much attention, if not more than adults, given their age and vulnerability. Concerned with the mainstreaming of children’s interests in policy-making, this book raises such questions as: What is good governance vis-à-vis children? What are the standards and indicators? Can there be one answer for this question that is applicable to all countries? In order to arrive at a better understanding of what good governance for children means and how the realization of the political, cultural, social and civil rights of children may be achieved, the book draws on the diverse and yet comprehensive body of knowledge that has developed over the years from initiatives taken by organisations across the world who work with policy makers to make governance systems more accountable and responsive to the well-being of children as citizens in themselves, simultaneously empowering children to take part in decision-making processes that impact their lives.

The rights of the child in words and pictures.

In 2014 the world’s most widely ratified human rights treaty, one specifically for children, reached the milestone of its twenty-fifth anniversary. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and in the time since then it has entered a new century, reshaping laws, policies, institutions and practices across the globe, along with fundamental conceptions of who children are, their rights and entitlements, and society’s duties and obligations to them. Yet despite its rapid entry into force worldwide, there are concerns that the Convention remains a high-level paper treaty without the traction on the ground needed to address ever-continuing violations of children’s rights. This book, based on papers from the conference ‘25 Years CRC’ held by the Department of Child Law at Leiden University, draws together a rich collection of research and insight by academics, practitioners, NGOs and other specialists to reflect on the lessons of the past 25 years, take stock of how international rights find their way into children’s lives at the local level, and explore the frontiers of children’s rights for the 25 years ahead.

With a very simple text accompanied by rich, vibrant illustrations a young narrator describes what it means to be a child with rights -- from the right to food, water and shelter, to the right to go to school, to the right to be free from violence, to the right to breathe clean air, and much more. The book emphasizes that these rights belong to every child on the planet, whether they are "black or white, small or big, rich or poor, born here or somewhere else." It also makes evident that knowing and talking about these rights are the first steps toward making sure that they are respected. A brief afterword explains that the rights outlined in the book come from the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989. The treaty sets out the basic human rights that belong to children all over the world, recognizing that children need special protection since they are more vulnerable than adults. It has been ratified by 193 countries, with the exception of Somalia and the United States. Once a country has ratified the document, they are legally bound to comply with it and to report on their efforts to do so. As a result, some progress has been made, not only in awareness of children's rights, but also in their implementation. But there are still many countries, wealthy and poor, where children's basic needs are not being met. To read a summary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, go to www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf.

When you were born, a song began... So begins this lyrical and unique non-fiction picture book by award-winning children's author Nicola Davies. With tenderness and heart, Nicola introduces young readers to the universal rights that every child is entitled to under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Using the metaphor of song, the book opens with the arrival of a newborn and its unique 'song', then pans out to explore all the essential things that every song needs to thrive - love, protection, a home, a name, the chance to explore and learn. In the latter half of the book, the issues of child labour, exploitation and war are sensitively introduced to emphasise that we all must play our part in championing children's rights and offering support to those who need it most. With deeply moving watercolour illustrations by award-winning artist Marc Martin, this is a book that encourages children and adults alike to speak up for young people all around the world, and to treat one another with compassion and kindness.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This report celebrates the achievements of the past three decades and highlights the critical work that remains. It presents data on several key issues where progress is stalling or reversing: child mortality, immunization, climate change, education participation, child marriage, and urbanization. The report also advocates for all stakeholders to recommit to the Convention, stepping up their efforts to fulfil its promise in the next 30 years.

Literacy has now been recognized as a human right for over 50 years in several international declarations and initiatives. Every child has a right to read and we have a social responsibility, as parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, booksellers, campaigners and policy makers to ensure that they are able to exercise that right. Reading by Right: Successful strategies to ensure every child can read to succeed provides a collection of chapters from international experts covering aspects of overcoming reading difficulties or reading reluctance in children and young people. The book reveals strategies that are proving effective in overcoming barriers to reading from birth to teens, looking at practices and projects from around the globe and revealing some common principles and drivers that have generated success. Content covered includes: an examination of the current state of reading in the UK and internationally and what the latest research tells us about children who are failing to readhow youngsters become ‘reluctant readers’ and how to improve the situation for everyoneexamples of successful projects from the Republic of Korea and Finland – countries that consistently perform well in reading tests and international league tablesanalysis of diversity in publishing and children’s books, drawing on expertise from authors and publishers. This book will be valuable for readers from all those professions that engage with young people and families and with the development of literacy, including librarians; teachers; service managers; consultants and other professional practitioners; and also to concerned parents.