ABSTRACT
During the last decade of the twentieth century the human rights of children finally became visible. Following its adoption by the UN General Assembly in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child has achieved near universal ratification. The 1990 World Summit for Children witnessed 71 heads of state making a commitment to give a high priority to the rights of children and the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights reiterated the principle of “First call for Children” declaring that the rights of children must be a priority within the UN.1 This widespread formal endorsement of the human rights of children, however, is rarely matched by a corresponding translation of rights into law, policy and practice. The gulf between the rights rhetoric and the realities of children’s lives remains considerable in most countries in the world.
