Children's Rights in Aotearoa New Zealand

A group of children with arms up cheering, holding a globe
The term “children’s rights” can mean, or relate to, a number of things.

When we talk about children’s rights in this website, we generally mean the rights that are provided for in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC). The most fundamental of these rights are:
  • The right to life
  • The right to non discrimination
  • The right to have their best interests given primary consideration in decision-making processes that affect them
  • The right to express views and to have those views taken into account in all matters affecting them
To read more, view the PDF of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Children’s rights can also mean:
  • the rights that are set out in the laws of Aotearoa New Zealand. For more information see NZ Laws
  • the rights that children enjoy with all other citizens of Aotearoa. These can be found in other international instruments and are best thought of as children and young people’s human rights. For more information see International Obligations.

Children's Rights Resources

There are many important documents relating to children's rights. Some of these are international documents, some come from within Aotearoa New Zealand.
Follow the links to download the PDF file of each of these: