OVERVIEW

There are about 2.3 billion children in the world, nearly a third of the total human population. Children are defined by law as people who are under the age of majority in their country, usually 18 years old. Whatever their age, all children have human rights, just as adults do. This includes the right to speak out and express opinions, as well as rights to equality, health, education, a clean environment, a safe place to live and protection from all kinds of harm. Children’s rights are enshrined in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the most ratified human rights treaty in the world. Only one of the UN’s 197 member states hasn’t ratified the Convention — the United States.

The UNCRC seeks to protect children from harm, to provide for their growth and development, and to empower their participation in society. Article 42 of the Convention is a commitment to educate children and adults about child rights, but it seldom happens. Ignorance of rights puts children at greater risk of abuse, discrimination and exploitation. PLA Foundation is a national legal aid and human rights organization that actively works towards the promotion and protection of human rights culture in Bangladesh. The action builds on PLA Foundation experience in working towards the enhancement, protection and promotion of rights of the disadvantaged groups, including the women and children in Bangladesh, implementing gender responsive interventions, collaborating with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), government of Bangladesh, and other Non-government organisations. It induces on the experience of ASK’s engagement in monitoring, reporting and following-up on the rights situation of the country through the international human rights monitoring mechanism, including the charter-based monitoring mechanisms, such as involvement in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), sending communication through Special Procedures to the Special Rapporteurs on thematic issues, as well as the treaty-based monitoring mechanisms, such as submitting periodic reports from the stakeholders. ASK’s foundational experience in conducting advocacy with other government agencies during the various review processes aided in having the expert committee to accept a high number of the recommendations placed by the organisation.

Child Rights Advocacy Coalition in Bangladesh (CRAC, B) is one of the most vibrant coalition in Bangladesh working for the promotion and protection of child rights since 2013. Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has been playing an active role as member since its inception and as the Secretariat since 2018. The Coalition is encompassed of most of the frontline child rights platforms in the country, with organisations and forums alike. For the first time in Bangladesh, the Coalition established a child rights monitoring system and executed a working follow-up advocacy in Bangladesh in line with UPR and UNCRC mechanism. ASK through CRAC, B aims to facilitate more stronger Civil Society platform and strengthen collective efforts to support the Government and other stakeholders in this process.

This project has been designed to ensure the sustainability of the continuous monitoring on the progress of implementation of the UPR and UNCRC recommendations utilising the monitoring framework, making it functional and strengthen the capacity of the CSOs in Bangladesh to integrate the rights of children within their priority areas so that they continue to work on their rights even when the project dissolves.

 

HOW ARE CHILD RIGHTS VIOLATED?

Sadly, all child rights are regularly abused or violated. This can start at birth. For example, an estimated 290 million children globally have not had their births registered, so they have no legal identity or proof of existence. This makes it nearly impossible for them to claim their rights throughout their lives – which means they may not be able to go to school, receive healthcare, or get a job when they are older. Girls in low-income countries have only a 50/50 chance of ever having a legal identity and accessing rights and services.

Around the world, over 61 million children do not attend primary school. An estimated 150 million girls and 73 million boys are sexually assaulted every year. In some countries, girls as young as nine are forced into marriage and children as young as six are judged as adults in criminal courts. At least 330,000 children are held in immigration detention in 80 countries every year, simply for being migrants or refugees. Many are forcibly separated from parents and families.

In 2019, one in six children was living in extreme poverty — a situation that puts children at greater risk of domestic violence, child labour, sexual exploitation, teenage pregnancy and child marriage. This number rose significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2020, nearly 820 million children did not have basic hand washing facilities at school, contravening their right to health and putting them at greater risk of catching and spreading infection.