Children's rights in international law

Securing the rights of children remains a challenge in the 21st century. Children continue to be exploited and abused on a regular basis and the use of child labour and child soldiers continues. In addition, violence against children and the mistreatment of child refugees is a concern in many countries. This unit provides an in-depth analysis of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its implementation around the world. It includes consideration of the historical development of children's rights; the various mechanisms in place in different countries for the implementation of the international norms pertaining to children's rights; the strengths and weaknesses of the UN processes for protecting children's rights, including the state reporting system; policy arguments for and against reform of the international system surrounding children's rights; and specific challenges to the full realisation of children's rights, including economic pressures, political will (or lack thereof) and social and cultural factors.