Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In the past 25 years, the number of children under five whose life was lost has decreased by half, and an additional 50 million children attend school.
However, children's rights are still being violated on a daily basis, and 27 million European children are at risk of poverty and social exclusion.
Over the past years, the European Union has worked at developing a strategic and comprehensive human rights framework, allowing for policy coherence across member states. It has aimed at ensuring investment in children's rights through the child well being budget line.
In a press statement, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child said that it is not about allowing young people to participate, it is a right, and they do not need to be allowed. "When children take part in discussions on matters affecting their lives, problems they face are more likely to be addressed meaningfully if their views are taken into account," the statement added.
Research revealed that 33% of women experienced physical or sexual violence as a child. In addition, many migrant, ethnic minority children or children with disabilities still face discrimination regularly. In court, children are still not adequately protected when facing difficult proceedings.
Therese Bonnici is reporting from Brussels