| Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have,
in the Charter, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights,
and in the dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined
to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas the United Nations has, in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, proclaimed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set
forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language,
religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other
status,
Whereas the child, by reason of his physical and mental
immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection,
before as well as after birth,
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Whereas the need for such special safeguards has been stated in
the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924, and recognized in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and in the statutes of specialized agencies and international
organizations concerned with the welfare o f children, statues of specialized agencies and
international organizations concerned with the welfare of children, Whereas mankind owes to the child the best it has to give,
Now therefore,
The General Assembly
Proclaims this Declaration of the Rights of the
Child to the end that he may have a happy childhood and enjoy for his own good and for the
good of society the rights and freedoms herein set forth, and calls upon parents, upon men
and women as individuals and upon voluntary organizations, local authorities and national
Governments to recognize these rights and strive for their observance by legislative and
other measures progressively taken in accordance with the following principles: |
Principle 1
The child shall enjoy all the rights set forth in
this Declaration. All children, without any exception whatsoever, shall be entitled
to these rights, without distinction or discrimination on account of race color, sex,
language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth
or other status, whether of himself or of his family.
Principle 2
The child shall enjoy special
protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law
and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally,
morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and
in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws
for this purpose the best interests of the child shall be the paramount
consideration.
Principle 3
The
child shall be entitled from his birth to a name and nationality.
Principle 4
The
child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He shall
be entitled to grow and develop in health; to this end special care
and protection shall be provided both to him and to his mother, including
adequate prenatal and postnatal care. The child shall have the
right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medial services.
Principle 5
The child who is physically,
mentally or socially handicapped shall be given the special treatment, education and care
required by his particular condition.
Principle 6
The child, for the full and harmonious development
of his personality, needs love and understanding. He shall,
wherever possible, grow up in the care and under the responsibility
of his parents, and in any case in an atmosphere of affection and
of moral and material security; a child of tender years shall not,
save in exceptional circumstances, be separated from his mother.
Society and the public authorities shall have the duty to extend particular
care to children without a family and those without adequate means
of support. Payment of state and other assistance toward the
maintenance of children of large families is desirable
Principle 7
The child is entitled to receive education, which
shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. He shall be given
an education, which will promote his general culture, and enable him on a basis of equal
opportunity to develop his abilities, his individual judgment, and his sense of moral and
social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society.
The best interests of the child shall be the
guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance; that responsibility
lies in the first place with his parents.
The child shall have full opportunity for play
and recreation, which should be directed to the same purpose as education; society and the
public authorities shall endeavor to promote the enjoyment of this right.
Principle 8
The child shall in all circumstances
be among the first to receive protection and relief
Principle 9
The child shall be protected against all forms of
neglect, cruelty and exploitation. He shall not be the subject of traffic in any
form.
The child shall not be admitted to employment
before an appropriate minimum age; he shall in no case be caused or permitted to engage in
any occupation or employment which would prejudice his health or education, or interfere
with his physical, metal or moral development.
Principle 10
The child shall be protected from practices which
may foster racial, religious and any other form of discrimination. He shall be
brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and
universal brotherhood and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be
devoted to the service of his fellow men.
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