Know your rights. Make them count.

Who the Convention applies to

The Convention generally applies to everyone under 18. Its definition allows for an earlier age of majority under the law applicable to the child. This Scottish guide addresses children and young people under 18.

ProjectChange summary of Article 1. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Rights for every child equally

Every child has these rights, no matter who they are, where they come from, what they believe, or what their family circumstances are. No child should be treated unfairly for any reason.

ProjectChange summary of Article 2. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Putting children first in decisions

When decisions affect children, their best interests must be a primary consideration. Adults need to understand the child’s circumstances and views, and explain how their interests were considered. This is not always the only consideration.

ProjectChange summary of Article 3. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Government responsibilities

Governments must do everything in their power — through laws, services, and funding — to make sure children's rights actually happen in practice, not just on paper.

ProjectChange summary of Article 4. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Family support and evolving capacities

Parents and carers have the responsibility to guide children in using their rights, in ways appropriate to their age and development. As children grow, they can exercise more of their rights independently.

ProjectChange summary of Article 5. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

The right to live and thrive

Every child has the right to life. Governments must do everything possible to ensure children survive and develop healthily — physically, mentally, spiritually, morally, and socially.

ProjectChange summary of Article 6. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Identity from birth

Every child has the right to be officially registered at birth, to have a name, to have a nationality, and — where possible — to know who their parents are and be cared for by them.

ProjectChange summary of Article 7. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Protecting who you are

Children have the right to keep their identity — their name, nationality, and family connections. If any part of a child's identity is taken away illegally, the government must help restore it.

ProjectChange summary of Article 8. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Staying with family when safe

Children should not be separated from their parents unless it is in the child's best interests — for example, if there is abuse or neglect. If separated, children have the right to maintain contact with both parents unless this would be harmful.

ProjectChange summary of Article 9. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Families across borders

If a child and their parents live in different countries, applications to bring them together should be dealt with positively and quickly. Children have the right to stay in contact with parents who live in another country.

ProjectChange summary of Article 10. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Protection from abduction

Governments must take steps to stop children being taken out of the country illegally and to prevent children being kept abroad against their will or the will of their legal guardians.

ProjectChange summary of Article 11. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Your voice matters

You have the right to express your views freely in matters affecting you, and to have them given due weight in line with your age and maturity. This includes an opportunity to be heard in legal and administrative proceedings affecting you, directly or through an appropriate representative. Having a view does not depend on being able to give a speech.

ProjectChange summary of Article 12. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Explore your right to be heard →

Sharing ideas and information

Children have the right to seek, receive and share information and ideas, including through speech, writing and art. Restrictions must be set by law and necessary for the purposes allowed by the Convention, such as protecting other people’s rights.

ProjectChange summary of Article 13. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Beliefs and conscience

Children have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Parents and guardians can guide them in ways that respect their growing capacities. Limits on practising a religion or belief must meet the Convention’s legal conditions.

ProjectChange summary of Article 14. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Meeting and joining groups

Children have the right to join groups and gather peacefully. Restrictions must be lawful and necessary for the purposes allowed by the Convention, such as protecting public safety or the rights of others.

ProjectChange summary of Article 15. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Personal space and reputation

Children have the right to privacy. This includes their own space, their belongings, their communications, and their reputation. The law must protect them from anyone who tries to harm their privacy unfairly.

ProjectChange summary of Article 16. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Media and information sources

Children have the right to access information and material from a wide range of sources. Governments should encourage media to produce content that is useful and suitable for children, and protect children from harmful material.

ProjectChange summary of Article 17. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Shared duty to raise children

Parents and carers share responsibility for raising a child. The best interests of the child must guide everything. Governments must support those doing that caring — especially with services like childcare — so children can be properly looked after.

ProjectChange summary of Article 18. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Safe from all forms of abuse

Children must be protected from all forms of abuse and neglect — physical, emotional, and sexual — whether from parents, carers, or anyone else. Governments must create systems to identify, investigate, and respond to abuse.

ProjectChange summary of Article 19. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Alternative care and protection

A child temporarily or permanently deprived of their family environment, or whose best interests mean they cannot remain there, is entitled to special protection and assistance. Alternative care should consider continuity in upbringing and the child’s cultural, religious and linguistic background.

ProjectChange summary of Article 20. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Best interests as the paramount test

Where adoption takes place, it must be because it is genuinely the right thing for the child — not for any other reason. The right checks must be done and the right people must agree to it.

ProjectChange summary of Article 21. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Protection for children seeking safety

Children who are refugees or seeking refugee status have the same rights as any other child, and must receive special protection and help. Governments must work with relevant organisations to provide this support.

ProjectChange summary of Article 22. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Support to live with dignity

Children with disabilities have the right to support and services that help them reach their full potential, participate in society, and live with dignity. This includes healthcare, education, social care, and — crucially — the chance to be included.

ProjectChange summary of Article 23. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Right to the best possible health

Children have the right to healthcare, clean water, nutritious food, and a clean environment. This includes mental health support. Governments must work to ensure children stay healthy and have access to the care they need when they need it.

ProjectChange summary of Article 24. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Regular review for children in care

A child placed by the authorities for care, protection or treatment has a right to regular review of their treatment and the circumstances of the placement. Article 12 also matters: the child’s views should receive proper consideration.

ProjectChange summary of Article 25. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Financial support when needed

Children have the right to benefit from social security, including social insurance. Governments must take steps to realise this right in line with national law, taking account of the resources and circumstances of the child and those responsible for them.

ProjectChange summary of Article 26. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Conditions to develop and thrive

Children have the right to a standard of living that supports their physical, mental, spiritual, and social development. This includes adequate housing, food, and clothing. Governments must help families who cannot afford to provide this.

ProjectChange summary of Article 27. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Right to learn

Children have the right to education. Primary education must be compulsory and free. Secondary education should be available and accessible to every child, with measures such as free education and financial support where needed. Higher education should be accessible on the basis of capacity. School discipline must respect children’s dignity.

ProjectChange summary of Article 28. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

What education should achieve

School should do more than teach facts. It should help you develop all your abilities, respect human rights and other people's cultures, and prepare you for life as an adult.

ProjectChange summary of Article 29. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Culture, language and religion

Children who belong to ethnic, religious, or linguistic minorities, or who are indigenous, have the right to maintain their culture, practise their religion, and use their own language — even if this is different from the majority of people around them.

ProjectChange summary of Article 30. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Rest, recreation and creative life

Children have the right to rest, leisure, and play. They have the right to take part in cultural, artistic, and recreational activities. Governments should ensure children have real opportunities for these activities — they are rights, not privileges.

ProjectChange summary of Article 31. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Protection from harmful work

Children must be protected from work that is harmful to their health, development, or education. Governments must set minimum working ages, regulate hours and conditions, and enforce these protections.

ProjectChange summary of Article 32. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Protection from illegal substances

Children must be protected from illegal drugs and from being used in drug trafficking or production. Governments must take steps to prevent children from being drawn into or harmed by illegal drug activity.

ProjectChange summary of Article 33. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Protection from all sexual abuse

Governments must protect children from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse. They must take appropriate national and international measures to prevent children being coerced or exploited.

ProjectChange summary of Article 34. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Prevention of abduction and trafficking

Children must be protected from abduction, sale, and trafficking for any purpose. Governments must take all measures — including international cooperation — to prevent trafficking and prosecute those responsible.

ProjectChange summary of Article 35. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Broader protection from exploitation

Children must be protected from any other form of exploitation that might harm their welfare — even if not specifically listed elsewhere in the Convention. The UNCRC's protection is not limited to what is explicitly named.

ProjectChange summary of Article 36. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

No torture; detention as last resort

Children must not be tortured or treated cruelly. Arrest, detention or imprisonment must be lawful, a last resort and for the shortest appropriate time. Children deprived of liberty have rights to dignified treatment, legal help and challenging the detention. They should be able to maintain family contact except in exceptional circumstances.

ProjectChange summary of Article 37. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Children and war

The Convention requires governments to respect humanitarian law protecting children in armed conflict. Article 38 sets protections against recruitment below 15 and requires all feasible measures to prevent under-15s taking a direct part in hostilities. The later Optional Protocol on armed conflict adds stronger protections; its rules are separate from this summary.

ProjectChange summary of Article 38. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Help for child victims to heal

Children who have experienced abuse, neglect, exploitation, or conflict have the right to support in recovering. This includes physical, mental health, and practical support — and the chance to move forward with their dignity intact.

ProjectChange summary of Article 39. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Fair treatment in the justice system

Children accused of or found to have broken criminal law have rights to fair treatment, the presumption of innocence, appropriate legal or other assistance, and privacy. The process should respect their age and support their reintegration into society.

ProjectChange summary of Article 40. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

The Convention sets a minimum

The Convention sets a minimum standard. If a country already has laws that protect children better, those laws still apply. The UNCRC is a floor, not a ceiling.

ProjectChange summary of Article 41. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.

Rights only work if people know them

Governments have a duty to actively ensure that children and adults know about the rights set out in the Convention. Rights that are not known cannot be exercised or enforced. This page is part of meeting that responsibility.

ProjectChange summary of Article 42. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — full text.