Children’s Right to Play and Its Implementation: A Comparative, International Perspective

Abstract

The child’s right to play is specifically addressed in the framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The international recognition of this right is the central theme of this study. Through a documentary analysis of the reports of the States Parties to the Convention and the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the study assesses the recognition of this right. The entry into force of General Comment 17 on the right of the child to rest, recreation, play, recreational activities, cultural life and the arts (art. 31) in 2013 should have marked a turning point in policies on children in the States Parties, but this did not occur. Policies cannot be developed in favour of children where play is ignored. Identifying the difficulties in exercising this right is also a challenge. Play should be part of the objectives, goals and strategies of action plans for children.