LIBRARY OF DOCUMENTS

Declaration of the Children’s Rights (the Children’s Charter), which became the charter of the International Save the Children Union (Eglantyne Jebb). The fundamental principles of child protection were summarised in five points.

The League of Nations adopted this declaration, known as the Geneva Declaration, on 24 September: “Mankind owes the Child the best that it has to give”. The League of Nations recognised for the first time that children have specific rights..

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations, Article 25 of which states that “Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance”.

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Adoption of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (CPHR), which also guaranteed the rights of minors by addressing "everyone".

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On 20 November, the United Nations unanimously adopted the Declaration of Children’s Rights, comprising ten principles. For the first time, countries with diverse cultures recognised universal and fundamental principles for Children’s Rights. The Declaration is non-binding for the States. Since then, the United Nations has celebrated Universal Children's Day each year on 20 November.

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The United Nations adopted two treaties: The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The covenant on civil and political rights dated 19 December 1966 applies to minors and adults, although this convention also contains provisions specifically related to children, particularly child offenders: Article 6(5) prohibits the death penalty for persons below eighteen years of age; Article 10 imposes the segregation of juvenile offenders from adults and the provision of treatment in the penitentiary system that is appropriate to their age. It also enshrines the rights of children to specific protection and to their identity. This text is directly applicable, but its scope remains limited.

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Convention 138, adopted by the International Labour Conference of the ILO on 26 June 1973. (International Labour Organisation) A legally-binding text that sets the legal minimum working age at 15, and at 18 for work that is likely to jeopardise the health, safety or morals of young persons. The purpose of Convention 138 is to: “Give children the right to live their childhood”.

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European Convention on the Legal Status of Children Born out of Wedlock of 15 October 1975

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Adoption of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on child abduction.

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On 29 November, the Beijing Rules for the administration of juvenile justice were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

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On 20 November, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the International Convention on Children’s Rights (UNCRC), obliging States which ratify it to respect its 54 articles on the rights of children to education, the right to a family, the right to religious instruction, the right to health, the right to recreation, the right to social security, the right to protection from economic and sexual exploitation, the rights granted to young offenders as well as protection from the death penalty and from conscription to the armed forces for those under 15 years of age.

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General Meeting of 14 December 1990: adoption of the United Nations Guidelines on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (the Riyadh Guidelines); adoption of the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty (the Havana Rules); adoption of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (the Tokyo Rules).

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Adoption of the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption.

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Adoption of the European Convention on the Exercise of Children's Rights on 25 January. This convention enshrines the procedural rights of minors, including the right for children to be informed and to express their opinion during proceedings.

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Adoption of the Hague Convention of 19 October on Jurisdiction, Governing Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Cooperation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children.

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Convention 182 unanimously adopted by members of the ILO on 17 June 1999 in Geneva, establishing the five worst forms of labour to be eliminated to strengthen action against child labour :

• Slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom ; 
• Forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict ;
• The use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances ;
• The use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties ;
• Work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children .

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Adoption of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime on 15 November. The Convention is supplemented by three Protocols including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children

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The Optional Protocol to the Convention on Children’s Rights on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, which prescribes specific protection against the sexual exploitation of children.

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The Optional Protocol to the Convention on Children’s Rights on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which prescribes specific protection for children in war and armed conflicts and aims to protect children under 18 years of age from recruitment and use in hostilities.

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Adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union on 18 December 2000. Article 24 constitutes a mini European charter for children. Article 32 prohibits child labour.

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Adoption of European Union Brussels IIA Regulation of 27 November. This Regulation r places significant importance on the interests and opinion of children.

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Adoption of the European Convention on Contact concerning Children on 15 May.

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Council Directive 2005/85/EC of 1 December 2005 on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status. This directive establishes specific procedural guarantees for unaccompanied minors.

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Adoption of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings on 16 May.

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Adoption of the “Lanzarote Convention” of the Council of Europe on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse

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Model Law developed by the International Bureau for Children's Rights (IBCR) setting the general principles to be applied in matters involving child victims and witnesses of crime.

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Directive 2011/36/EU of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims.

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Directive 2011/93/EU of 13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA.

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Directive 2012/13/EU of 22 May 2012 on the right to information in criminal proceedings. Directive applicable to minors.

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Directive 2013/32/EU of 26 June 2013 on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection. This directive establishes specific guarantees for unaccompanied minors.

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Directive 2013/48/EU of 22 October 2013 on the right of access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings and in European arrest warrant proceedings, and on the right to have a third party informed upon deprivation of liberty and to communicate with third persons and with consular authorities while deprived of liberty. Directive applicable to minors.

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Directive 2016/800/EU of 11 May 2016 on procedural safeguards for children who are suspects or accused persons in criminal proceedings.

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