Twenty-five years of a promise to every child

Twenty-five years ago, with the drafting of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), the UN set out a shared promise of a world where all children realize their right to survival, to education and development, to protection, and to participation. This is the most widely ratified UN treaty; by ratifying it, governments have declared to their own citizens and to the global community their commitment to working towards this dream, as well as sharing their progress and challenges openly with others to ensure continuous improvements. This year the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to two child rights defenders was a wonderful celebration of our shared commitment to this cause.

Save the Children has been both a proud witness and participant to these global developments. Our founder, Eglantyne Jebb, wrote the first global charter protecting the rights of children in 1923, which served as the foundation for the CRC. Promoting awareness of the convention has been a key part of our efforts since we started working again in China nearly thirty years ago.

China’s success in improving children’s development outcomes has been a global example. China’s under 5 child mortality rate has been successfully reduced by 74% over the last two decades, achieving the millennium development goals ahead of time. The country has successfully lifted over 200 million children and families out of poverty in the last three decades. China has achieved huge success in school enrollment –with 99.7% in primary compulsory education. We have seen a growing interest from our staff and partners outside China to learn lessons from China – in particular how to bring about change on a large scale for children.

I am often asked what a “child rights lens” brings to this work. The example of inclusive education for disabled children serves as a powerful illustration. China has delivered enormous progress in meeting the needs of disabled people, including increased chances to receive education, improved rehabilitation services and employment. However, often when we talk to our staff, partners or beneficiaries who are disabled about their long term dreams, they go beyond the meeting of needs. They ask to be given greater opportunities to be included in mainstream society.