Making children’s rights a reality. A Policy Brief

Almost 20 years on from the signing of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, we are still failing children. Around the world, millions of children continue to suffer widespread and severe violations of their rights. Why? Often, because of the way governments allocate resources and make policy decisions. These governments, as ‘duty-bearers’ responsible for delivering children’s rights, together with donors and civil society, need to do much more to promote and safeguard children’s wellbeing. This brief outlines: What are children’s rights? What progress has been made in the past 20 years? Have we made children’s rights a reality? Why have we not achieved more?