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I always have rights: Third Children’s Rights Action Day
The United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 20 November 1989. For three years now, many schools have celebrated this anniversary with a Children’s Rights Action Day. Markus Löning, Federal Government Human Rights Commissioner, and UNICEF are calling on people to get involved.
Federal Government Human Rights Commissioner Markus Löning issued the following statement on the Third Children’s Rights Action Day today (20 November):
Three years ago a wonderful tradition was started with the Children’s Rights Action Day. In 2012, UNICEF and the Federal Government Human Rights Commissioner are for the third time calling on schools all across the country to focus on children’s rights. All members of the Bundestag are invited to visit a school in their constituency on this day and talk to pupils. Children and young people all over Germany are thus getting to know their rights and chatting to their politicians.
I am delighted that so many are getting involved – 260 schools and more than a hundred MPs. I’m sure they will learn from one another.
From my own talks with pupils, I know how important it is to them to discuss children’s rights. The Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder need to make sure due account is taken of human rights and children’s rights in the curricula.
Background information:
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations on 20 November 1989. With 193 States Parties, it is the most ratified human rights convention.
Since 2010, UNICEF and the Federal Government Human Rights Commissioner have been calling upon schools and MPs all across the country to focus on children’s rights. The aim is to help children and young people to formulate their ideas and opinions on children’s rights and present them to the politicians responsible for their constituency. Children and young people thus have the opportunity to voice their wishes and ideas directly to the MPs about what needs to be changed at the political level.
UNICEF has made teaching material available to all primary and secondary schools in Germany dealing with the topics of equal opportunities, participation and violence. This year, 103 members of the German Bundestag are engaging in discussions with children and young people. A total of about 260 schools right across Germany are involved in projects on children’s rights.
On Friday (23 November), Markus Löning will visit a school in Berlin to talk to children and young people about their rights.
