The Convention of the United Nation Child Rights (1989) has been ratified by 193 countries over the world where 2.2 billion children live. This is the most widely ratified convention in the history of mankind. It aims to promote and protect children's rights worldwide. Canada ratified the Convention on the United Nation Child Rights in 1990.
There are 54 articles that define children's rights that can be summarized in seven principles as proposed by Dr. Gilles Julien and Hélène Sioui Trudel:
- Children are born equal in rights;
- The best interests of the child governs the actions concerning himself;
- The child enjoys freedoms and civil rights;
- The entire community must be involved with children to support their families;
- The child is born healthy and grows up healthy;
- The child is educated, have fun and is opens to the world;
- The child has the right to be protected.
