30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child - an exhibition in Kaisa House

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child turns 30 years. Helsinki University Library hosts a poster exhibition in the Kaisa House. The day of Right of the Child is celebrated in Finland on November 20th.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, or UNCRC, is the basis of all of Unicef’s work. It is the most complete statement of children’s rights ever produced and is the most widely-ratified international human rights treaty in history. In Finland the treaty was ratified in 1991. 

The 30 years of the treaty are celebrated in the Kaisa House with a poster exhibition between 18th and 24th of November. The librarians have put together a list of contemporary reading on the subject.

Children's rights

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Taking Stock after 25 Years and Looking Ahead / Edited by Ton Liefaard and Julia Sloth-Nielsen. Brill/Nijhoff 2016.

This book, based on papers from the conference ‘25 Years CRC’ held by the Department of Child Law at Leiden University, draws together a rich collection of research and insight by academics, practitioners, NGOs and other specialists to reflect on the lessons of the past 25 years, take stock of how international rights find their way into children’s lives at the local level, and explore the frontiers of children’s rights for the 25 years ahead..

Child Rights and International Discrimination Law. Implementing Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child  / edited by Marit Skivenes, Karl Harald Søvig. Routledge 2019. 

This book offers a comparative and critical analysis of the implementation of Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Human rights and children. An Edward Elgar research review / Barbara Stark. Edward Elgar 2017.

This research review provides a comprehensive overview of children's human rights, collecting the works of leading authorities as well as new scholars grappling with emerging ideas of 'children' and 'rights.'

Children's rights law in the global human rights landscape. Isolation, inspiration, integration? / edited by Eva Brems, Ellen Desmet, Wouter Vandenhole. Routledge 2017. 

Children’s rights law is often studied and perceived in isolation from the broader field of human rights law. This volume explores the inter-relationship between children’s rights law and more general human rights law in order to see whether elements from each could successfully inform the other. Children’s rights law has a number of distinctive characteristics, such as the emphasis on the ‘best interests of the child’, the use of general principles, and the inclusion of ‘third parties’ (e.g. parents and other care-takers) in treaty provisions.

Children's rights and sustainable development. Interpreting the UNCRC for future generations / edited by Claire Fenton-Glynn. Cambridge University Press 2019. 

In taking a child rights-based approach to sustainable development, this volume defines and identifies children as the subjects of development, and explores how their rights can be respected, protected and promoted while also ensuring the economic, social and environmental sustainability of our planet.

Campaigning for children. Strategies for advancing children's rights / Jo Becker. Stanford University Press 2017.

This book focuses on contemporary children's rights, identifying the range of abuses that affect children today, including early marriage, female genital mutilation, child labor, sex trafficking, corporal punishment, the impact of armed conflict,   and access to education.

The rights of the child in a changing world. 25 years after the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child / edited by Olga Cvejić Jančić. Springer International Publishing 2016.

 

This book deals with the implementation of the rights of the child as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 21 countries from Europe, Asia, Australia, and the USA. It gives an overview of the legal status of children regarding their most salient rights.

Family life

Children's rights. Towards social justice / Anne B. Smith. Momentum Press 2016.

This book focuses on research emerging from Children's Rights and Childhood Studies thinking, which has important implications for developing policies and practices to improve children's well being and rights.

Justice for children and families. A developmental perspective / edited by Michael Shaw and Sue Bailey. Cambridge University Press 2018.

Children come into the world completely helpless, and require well-functioning families and schools to meet their needs, protect their interests and nurture their potential. This book argues that healthy child-development depends on values, ideas and structures that promote justice for children and families.

The child’s right to development / Noam Peleg. Cambridge University Press 2019.

This book provides a comprehensive account of how child development and the right to development of children have been understood in international children's rights law.

Migration

Protecting migrant children. In search of best practice / edited by Mary Crock, Lenni B. Benson.

Unprecedented numbers of children are crossing international borders seeking safety. Framed around compelling case studies explaining why children are on the move in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania, this book explores the jurisprudence and processes used by nations to adjudicate children’s protection claims.

The child in international refugee law / Jason M. Pobjoy. Cambridge University Press 2017.

Children are the victims of some of the most devastating examples of state-sanctioned and private human rights abuse. In increasing numbers, they are attempting to find international protection, and are forced to navigate complex administrative and legal processes that fail to take into account their distinct needs and vulnerabilities. The key challenges they face in establishing entitlement to refugee protection are their invisibility and the risk of incorrect assessment. Drawing on an extensive and original analysis of jurisprudence of leading common law jurisdictions, this book undertakes an assessment of the extent to which these challenges may be overcome by greater engagement between international refugee law and international law on the rights of the child.