There has been a recent breakthrough in the enforcement of children's rights: With its signature, Costa Rica has ensured that children too can claim their human rights at the United Nations. In order for this individual complaints procedure to come into force, ten states had to sign the agreement.
Children whose human rights have been violated will be able to submit their case to the United Nations (UN) for consideration. In mid-January 2014, Costa Rica became the tenth country (after Albania, Bolivia, Gabon, Germany, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Thailand) to ratify the Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The International Federation Terre des Hommes has played a decisive role in the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in enforcing this protocol.
Strengthening children's rights with more pressure
The right to an individual complaints procedure contained therein could only come into force after ten countries had deposited their ratification instruments with the UN. The additional instrument of the right of appeal increases the pressure on states to ensure that children's rights are respected. The Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child will enter into force in mid-April.
This is an important step towards the implementation of children's rights, which are violated daily worldwide, whether they are subjected to violence and sexual abuse, sentenced to death or exploited through human trafficking and child labour. Up to now, however, there have been no possibilities to sue for such offences.
