Child Rights Governance

Save the Children has a strong, long-standing commitment to the advancement of all children’s rights, for every child, everywhere – in both emergency and longer-term development contexts. This commitment goes back to the early years of the organisation’s foundation, through the adoption of the international treaty on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and is now part of the organisation’s DNA, uniting the efforts of Save the Children’s international and domestic programmes across the world. Child Rights Governance, which is one of Save the Children’s global themes, aims to support and influence states to establish the policies and systems that effectively implement the UNCRC as necessary to make child rights a reality, and addresses the systemic, underlying and/or structural aspects that enable or hinder children’s rights. There is little doubt that (in general) it is better to be a child now than in the past, but many children still do not have an equal chance to fulfil their potential. There are many reasons for this. Governments do not always have children's best interests in mind when they make decisions that affect them and their families. Children are often last in line in a list of competing priorities. Many do not see children as citizens in their own right and do not listen to them when they explain what they need and want. Governments also do not spend enough money on children’s health, education or protection. Save the Children and Child Rights Governance works to change these perceptions and practices. It is essential that governments put the necessary measures in place to deliver on children’s rights and that they must invest much more, and more effectively, in children. States have the main responsibility but cannot alone guarantee children’s rights. In a global community, we all need to take responsibility for how the world treats children; donors, business, politicians, civil servants, civil society groups and citizens alike. Save the Children believes that civic action is needed to make children’s rights a reality. A strong civil society where children and their communities hold states and the international community to account is crucial. Children’s own ability, agency and contributions are essential for making the world a better place for children. A society that allows its children to exercise their civil rights and freedoms will gain from their creativity and innovations and children will learn to practice democratic values at a critical time in their life. Child Rights Governance work has proven to be an effective way to achieve a positive impact on millions of children’s lives, resulting in structural and lasting change and driving forward the implementation of children´s right at a large scale.