Representatives of BHRC were invited by UNICEF to attend a high level meeting and day of celebration on 20th November at the United Nations in New York to mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. BHRC was invited due to the child protection training project it has carried out in Nigeria over four years.
The day kicked off with presentations and performances by children, UNICEF ambassadors, actors and musicians. This was followed by the morning session of the high level meeting where relevant Special Rappporteurs presented and statements were made by regional groups. Over lunch we attended the launch event of UNICEF’s ‘State of the World’s Children 2015‘ report, which focussed on innovation. An inspiring panel of young people talked about the innovations they have been involved with to advance the rights of children and young people in their countries. In the afternoon there was an interactive panel discussion during which States and NGOs made statements and posed questions on a variety of themes.
It seems that whilst there are many achievements and successes to look back on over the first 25 years of the CRC, a huge number of challenges remain to be addressed if the world is ever to see the rights of children fully realised.
