ABSTRACT
Thirty years on from the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (United Nations (UN), 1989), this final chapter reflects critically on what has been achieved since the adoption of the UNCRC in 1989 to realise the rights of children younger than 8 years, the current state of their rights, and what remains to be done to secure young children’s rights. The chapter discusses briefly some limitations to young children’s rights and evidence and policy, before addressing challenges and imagining futures when young children’s rights are respected. The chapter concludes by advocating for a revised UNCRC that recognises young children as capable social actors from birth, calling for universal global ratification and urging all states to find ways to assume their full responsibilities to ensure that all children’s rights are enacted, including those of our youngest citizens.
