Convention on the Rights of the Child
Photo credit: Reid Maki, National Consumers League
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a human rights treaty that focuses specifically on political, economic, social, health and cultural needs and rights of children worldwide. It calls on nations to protect children from abuse, violence, and exploitation, while empowering children to be active members of their families and communities, endowed with rights and responsibilities appropriate to their age and stage of development.
Only three countries have failed to ratify the CRC since the United Nation's General Assembly adopted it in 1989: Somalia, South Sudan and the United States.
As part of its mission to support fairness to children and access to high-quality public education, the AFT supports the aims of the CRC and works with other civil society organizations to pressure U.S. government ratification. Join us by signing the petition asking President Obama to make the CRC a priority during his second term and using the resources provided to raise awareness of the CRC among your students and within your communities.