International Children’s Rights Law: General Principles

Abstract

This chapter introduces the general principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.It defines “the child” under this law and discusses the usage of age as a sole indicator for offering protection for vulnerable human beings, as well as the dispute over the rights that the unborn child might have. The chapter also discusses the four guiding principles of the Convention: the right to nondiscrimination (Article 2); the principle of the best interests of the child (Article 3); the right to life, survival, and development (Article 6); and the right to participation (Article 12). The chapter further discusses the key rules of interpretation regarding the Convention, including how to apply a “child-centered approach” to matters concerning children and how to balance the rights of the child with the rights of others, including parents.