The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is an international treaty laying out a set of human rights for all children. The fundamental premise of the Convention is that people below age 18 are entitled to the same rights and freedoms as all people. The Convention has been signed and ratified by more countries than any other human rights instrument, and Malaysia acceded to the Convention in 1995.
The guiding principles of the Convention are the definition of the child as a person below age 18, no discrimination on any basis (such as race, gender, religion, family background, language, disability, etc.), and that decisions affecting a child must be made with the best interests of the child in mind. In addition, each child has a right to life, survival and development, and children have a right to say what they think and have their views heard. The full text of the Convention is available on the United Nation’s website or as a PDF document.
Countries report regularly on their implementation of the Convention. Malaysia reported in 2006 and is due to report again in 2012. The Convention is the only human rights treaty that gives a role to non-governmental organizations in monitoring implementation. When the government of a country submits its reports, civil society also submits its own report to further describe the situation of children’s rights in that country. Voice of the Children is proud to be a member of the Steering Committee to produce the civil society report in 2012. The Mousedeer Group is gathering information from children in Malaysia about how they think their rights are being realized and also will submit a report in 2012.
More useful information about the Convention and other treaties affecting children worldwide can be found on UNICEF’s website and on the Children Rights International Network (CRIN) website.
The Child Rights Coalition Malaysia has released its inaugural report on the status of children’s rights in Malaysia.
One key issue identified in the report is a lack of access to birth registration for certain groups of marginalized and disadvantaged children. These children include children from the urban and...Read More »
Child rights NGOs held a consultation on October 30 to discuss the final draft of the civil society report on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
The summary report will be launched in December.
Among the areas included in the...Read More »
By Joti Kohli
Children’s rights have been clearly laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC was opened for signature on November 20, 1989, and entered into force on September 2, 1990.
With ratification...Read More »
As you may recall from the previous VoC Newsletter, we are part of an NGO coalition reporting on Malaysia’s implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Malaysian government will submit its report this year on how the country is doing with regard to children’s rights, and...Read More »
Last month the UN General Assembly adopted a new Optional Protocol for the Convention on the Rights of the Child that establishes a mechanism for children to make complaints that their rights have been violated. This is a significant step, as advocates — international and national NGO’s — have been...Read More »
What’s the difference between children’s rights and human rights? Does this mean that children are allowed to divorce their parents?
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty that establishes human rights standards for children. Through the Convention, also known as the CRC,...Read More »
Our mission is to advocate for law and policy reform to ensure that the rights of every child in Malaysia are protected and no longer at risk of violation. We believe that the welfare and protection of every child in Malaysia can only be realized through the promotion of children’s rights and the continued implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child in Malaysia.
