United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) guides ACYA’s work. It is the most important international statement of the rights of children and young people and has been ratified by more countries than any other UN human rights treaty.

UNCROC is a comprehensive document containing 54 Articles, some of which are short statements that establish a children’s rights principle; and others which are much more detailed and specific in their language and application. 

UNCROC’s content can be roughly divided into the following categories
  • fundamental rights
  • rights that provide for protection
  • rights that provide for provision of services
  • rights that provide for participation.
The four fundamental rights are applicable to all other rights
  • the right to life
  • the right to non discrimination
  • the right to decisions that take account of their best interests
  • the right to express views and to have those views taken into account in all matters affecting them.
Protection includes rights to
  • protection from violence, abuse and neglect
  • protection and assistance for refugee children
  • protection from economic exploitation and hazardous work
  • protection from trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Provision of services includes rights to
  • health care
  • an adequate standard of living
  • education
  • play and recreational activities.
Participation includes rights to
  • freedom of expression
  • freedom of thought, conscience and religion
  • privacy
  • access to information.

Links to reports lodged with UNCROC

ACYA - Alternative Report - Counting what matters
ACYA - Supplementary Information - "Walk for a bit in my shoes..."
OraTaiao - Child Rights and Climate Change in Aotearoa NZ
NZ Government draft 5th periodic report to the UN - December 2014

Links to further information

ACYA and UNCROC  for the NGO reporting process
UNCROC documents for Reports
Child Rights Connect activities

Aotearoa New Zealand ratified UNCROC 6 April 1993

In doing so, the Government entered three reservations regarding areas it did not agree to comply with. These reservations remain in place and no actions have been taken by the government to formally remove them.

The reservations relate to the following government policy positions: It entered the following reservations when ratifying and these have not yet been withdrawn.
  • Children whose parents do not have a legal right to be in New Zealand, in most cases are not entitled to education, health and welfare benefits
  • There is no minimum age or agreed conditions of employing children
  • Children in custody can be held with adult prisoners in some circumstances.
As a result of ratifying UNCROC, the New Zealand Government must report every five years to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on the progress it is making towards full implementation of UNCROC in New Zealand.
As part of the reporting process, the UN Committee also accepts and considers reports from NGOs on the government’s progress in implementing UNCROC.