The KidsRights Index has been developed to stimulate public opinion and public debate concerning the adhering of children’s rights. It is a tool for governments, civil society and other stakeholders for taking action to improve children’s rights. We aim to provide more insight into the detailed reports of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and make them more understandable, so as to encourage dialogue about children’s rights.
There is still a considerable gap between children’s rights policies made at national and international level and the local day-to-day realities of children and youths worldwide. The index provides crucial insights into what is being done and where countries need to do better to fully implement the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
History
The KidsRights Foundation took the initiative to develop an index that takes a scientific approach to charting the status of the implementation of children’s rights worldwide. The Erasmus School of Economics and the International Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam were approached to help create the KidsRights Index. This special collaboration between academics and non-profit organizations that began in 2010 has led to the KidsRights Index that was launched on 19 November 2013.
Over the past years, we have been in touch with and consulted with influential and highly regarded parties, such as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the European Council. These parties are very interested in the KidsRights Index and the role the Index can play in promoting the adhering to children’s rights around the world. We welcome and are continuously seeking (more) dialogue and possibly cooperation with other organizations in order to further the KidsRights Index, to which end a user conference was organised in the Spring of 2014.