In 1989, the world’s leaders officially recognised the human rights of all children and young people under 18 by signing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Convention is the basis of all UNICEF’s work. UNICEF is the only organisation working for children recognised by the Convention.

• Read a summary of the UN Convention (PDF)
• Download the full text of the UN Convention (PDF)

The Convention says that every child has:

• The right to a childhood (including protection from harm)
• The right to be educated (including all girls and boys completing primary school)
• The right to be healthy (including having clean water, nutritious food and medical care)
• The right to be treated fairly (including changing laws and practices that are unfair on children)
• The right to be heard (including considering children’s views)