Where do my rights come from?

The rights of children are written in the laws of the country you live in as well as in European and international law.

A law is a group of rules which regulates the actions of an individual or more people, such as the members of a community or country. This includes children. If people do something against the law, they have to face the consequences of their actions; in the most serious cases they have to go to prison.

What is an international law?

It is a group of rules which a group of countries have agreed to follow. International law also regulates children’s rights.

What are international treaties?

An international treaty is an agreement under international law made by countries and/or international organisations. Under the treaty, everyone agreees to do something in a certain situation. For example, they promise to do all they can to protect specific rights of children such as the right to have food and water, to go to school, etc.

What is the European Union?

The European Union (or EU) is an organisation of 28 European countries. Each country has a different history, geography, language and culture. Together the countries make the EU which decides certain matters for all countries. This includes human rights and children’s rights. However, in some matters countries make their own decisions.

Where do my rights come from?

The rights of children are written in the laws of the country that you live in, called national laws, and in European and international laws such as the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the European Social Charter and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Find out more about:

International laws on the rights of the child
 

 

European laws on the rights of the child
 

 

National laws on the rights of the child
 

Drawings used on this web page have been kindly designed for FRA by Elton Chen.