Children's human rights

Human rights are for all of us

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world simply because we are human.

Human rights are a list of things that all people – including children and young people – need in order to live a safe, healthy and happy life.

You have them no matter where you are from, how old you are, what you believe, or how you choose to live your life.

Governments cannot pick or choose which rights to honour. Your rights can’t be taken away from you.

And adults must respect and protect your human rights when they plan services, make policies and make decisions.

You can find out about your human rights here. You can find out how to get help if your rights have not been respected.

Get help, information and advice about your human rights, and find out the ways you can get involved in what we do.

Many of your human rights are set out in a law called the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, or UNCRC. It exists especially for everyone who is under 18.

But there are many other laws that set out rights that everyone has. These laws apply to children and young people, as well as to everybody else.

Many rights people under 18 have are listed in a document called the UN Convention on The Rights of the Child, or UNCRC.

The European Convention on Human Rights is a law that enshrines certain rights and freedoms in the Member States of the Council of Europe.