International Child Rights Standards

General Child Rights Law
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (2000)
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (2000)

Regional instruments
Africa
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990)
African Youth Charter (2006)

Europe
Recommendation 874 (1979) on a European Charter on the Rights of the Child
European Convention on the Exercise of Children's Rights (1996)

General Human Rights Law
Global Instruments
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (1989)

Regional Instruments
Africa
African (Banjul) Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (1981)
Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (2003)

Americas
American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (1948)
American Convention on Human Rights (1978)

League of Arab States
Council of the League of Arab States, Arab Charter on Human Rights (1994)
League of Arab States, Revised Arab Charter on Human Rights (2004)
Council of the League of Arab States, Arab Charter on Human Rights (2004)

Europe
European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950)
European Social Charter (1961)
European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1989)

Juvenile Justice
UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (1977)
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984)
UN Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules) (1985)
UN Guidelines on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (Riyadh Guidelines) (1990)
UN Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty (the JDLs) (1990)
UN Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodial Measures (1990)
ECOSOC Resolution 1997/30 Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System (1997)
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment #10 Children's rights in juvenile justice (2007)

Europe
Recommendation 20 (2003) of the Committee of Ministers of CoE to member states concerning new ways of dealing with juvenile delinquency and the role of juvenile justice
Recommendation 1666 (2004) Europe-wide ban on corporal punishment of children
Resolution 1349 (2003) Abolition of the death penalty in Council of Europe Observer states

Child Protection
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)

Regional Instruments
Africa
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990)
African Youth Charter (2006)

Europe
European Convention on Social and Medical Assistance (1953)
European Convention on the Adoption of Children (1967)
European Convention on the Legal Status of Children born out of Wedlock (1975)
Recommendation 869 (1979) on payment by the state of advances on child maintenance
European Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions concerning Custody of Children and on Restoration of Custody of Children (1980)
Recommendation 1443 (2000) International adoption: respecting children's rights
Resolution 1291 (2002) International abduction of children by one of their parents
European Convention on Contact Concerning Children (2003)
Res. 1468 (2005) Forced marriages and child marriages
Recommendation 5 (2005) of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the rights of children living in residential institutions
Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (2007)

Child Victims and Witnesses
UN General Assembly Resolution 40/34 on Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power (1985)
ECOSOC Resolution 2005/20 Guidelines on Justice in Matters Involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crimes (2005)

Regional Instruments
Europe
Recommendation 1583 (2002) Prevention of recidivism in crimes against minors
Recommendation 1778 (2007) Child victims: stamping out all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse

Child Trafficking
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (2000)
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2001)

Regional Instruments
Europe
Resolution 1307 (2002) Sexual exploitation of children: zero tolerance
Resolution 1579 (2007) Child Prostitution
Resolution 1530 (2007) Child victims: stamping out all forms of violence exploitation and abuse

Children and Armed Conflict
Provisions of International Humanitarian Law (specifically the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols 1 and 2) relevant to children
Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding between Peoples (1965)
Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict (1974)
Protection of children in armed conflicts (1986)
Assistance to Children in Emergency Situations 25th International Conference of the Red Cross, Geneva (1986)
Resolution on Peace for Children: Reducing the Effects of Armed Conflicts on Children and Women in Africa (1990)
Resolution Of The Plight Of African Children In Situation Of Armed Conflicts (1996)
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (2000)
The Paris Principles: Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated With Armed Forces or Armed Groups (2007)
The Paris Commitments to protect children from unlawful recruitment or use by armed forces or armed groups (2007)

Click here to visit the Children and Armed Conflict Unit's website. The Children and Armed Conflict Unit is a joint project of The Children's Legal Centre and the University of Essex Human Rights Centre.

Children with Disabilities
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2007)
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2007)

Child labour
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (ILO Convention 182) (1999)
Minimum Age Convention (ILO Convention 138) (1973)

Regional Instruments
Europe
Recommendation 1336 (1997) on combating child labour exploitation as a matter of priority

Other
Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (1999)
Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960)
International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (1965)

International Human Rights Bodies

Committee on the Rights of the Child
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
African Commission on Human and People's Rights
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
League of Arab States
European Court of Human Rights
Council of Europe