Violation of the Rights of the Child. Essays - Foreign Relations

Violation of the Rights of the Child. Essays - Foreign Relations Violation of the Rights of the Child. The Provisions of CRC The Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out basic human rights that children every where have. These are the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The Convention protects children's rights by setting standards in health care; education; and legal, civil and social services. States that ratify the Convention are obliged to develop and undertake all actions and policies in the light of the best interests of the child. A child is a defined as a human being below the age of eighteen years. Rights conferred on children by the convention should be made available by the states irrespective of any discrimination. A child should be registered immediately after birth; has a right to a name and a right to acquire a "nationality" " State parties should protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse neglect or negligent treatment' maltreatment or exploitation including sexual abuse, while in the care of parents legal guardians or any other person who has the care of the child" (article 19) State parties recognize "the right of the child to education, make primary education compulsory and available free to all etc., (article 28/11) States parties shall ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity and in conformity with the convention. (article 28, (2) ), State parties shall protect the child from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be harmful to child's health or physical mental spiritual moral or social development (Article 32) The Convention also prohibits subjecting a child to "torture or other cruel, inhuman or defrauding treatment or punishment (37a) Country Incidents It is now sought to examine the extent of incidents that impinge on rights of children in several country contexts. Sri Lanka is a state party to CRC and ILO Convention 182 on Elimination of worst forms of child labour. A child activity survey undertaken in 1999 by the state found 11000 children between 5 and 14 working full time and another 15,000 engaged in housekeeping. Survey found 450,000 children employed by families in seasonal agriculture. Measures are being designed to overcome the worst forms of child labour and effect changes to the law. Various estimates of child recruitment as soldiers are being monitored by UNICEF. With escalation of war it is feared large numbers are exposed to recruitment by rebel groups. Sri Lanka has set up a National Child Protection Committee to undertake measures against trafficking of children; create awareness programmes on abuse and denial of child rights for the Police Judiciary and Higher Judiciary (Source: Sri Lanka State of Human Rights 2005; Law and Society Trust ISDN 955-9026-99-9, P 260-265) A report on street children in Moscow recalls problem of "Street kids", most of whom run away from their parents. "Experts say" existing system of child welfare must not be expanded but reformed. It has been observed that the vast majority of today's street "urchins" have run away from living parents who drink heavily have no means to feed their kids or routinely abuse them" Ternovskaya from Education Ministry working group going by UK experience recommends 50-70 social workers should work at every low level municipality now staffed by only one or two persons. A family code should enable local authorities to intervene with troubled families. There is also a fear violation of child rights prevails in privately run shelters. There is a proposal to develop a juvenile justice system where officers are specially trained and not burdened by other cases and may intervene with supportive measures. (source:- http/www.hrc.ca/children/street/russia/jan02.shtml/sventlana korkina) Helena William and John Deane from PA news, reports that two influential Parliamentary Committees in UK urged that "parents should be banned from smacking their children" Such measures will help to close the "reasonable chastisement" defense now often relied upon by abusers. Yet a ban from smacking should not be a response to child abuse in the light of death of 8 year old Victoria who died at the hands of her great aunt of hypothermia, malnourishment and 128 separate injuries on her body after suffering months of abuse from her care. It is reported that approximately 80 children in England die from abuse each year. Reforms to the law are being considered as "hitting children is wrong" interests of children's rights and child protection call for re examination of concept of "reasonable chastisement" (source: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article 110187.ecl) 37 media personal and academicians participating