United Nations and Rights of Child, Focus: Syrian Refugee Children

Abstract

―Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high‖ words of the Indian poet Tagore reflect the very essence of Human Dignity. Founded on the doctrine of rights based on natural laws, Human Rights are universally accepted as those minimal rights that individuals need to lead a life of their choice – their protection and promotion is the first responsibility of the government. The aim of a universal system of Rights is to revise and restore human values in all societies, where political, racial, social and economic oppression exists and to wipe out human misery, to enrich and refine human life in all parts of the world, with special attention to the child – the future of Life itself. After the horrors of suffering in the last two world wars, the United Nations grandiosely adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10th December 1948. Art 1 of the U.N. charter states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that being ―endowed with reason and conscience‖, they should behave in a spirit of brotherhood. From time to time, the U.N. has made several declarations for effective enforcement of rights. Of particular interest to us is the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989). The Convention, the focus of this study, is based on the pledge --- - ―Mankind owes to the child the best it can give‖. The U.N. declaration of the Rights of the Child is its most comprehensive document. Yet, the child continues to be neglected. 67.4 million Children are out of school, their access to health care is negligible and they face alarming security risks in a strife – torn world, despite Art-20 &22 which provides for Rights of vulnerable children like Refugees to special protection. Issues of Rights of children, therefore, are not a matter of legality alone but attitude and an assertion of social justice. The main focus of this paper will be to analyse the provisions of the Rights of Child in the U.N. Charter and to highlight the fact that the child continues to be deprived of his basic rights. The present study is based on the Library method of Social Science Research. The data has been collected from U.N. documents, reports, websites, books, journals and newspapers.