Alive & Kicking UK

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty that sets out universally accepted rights for children. It is a benchmark against which a nation's treatment of its children can be measured.

The Convention was officially approved by the United Nations in 1989 and has been ratified by all but two countries in the world. Ratification of the Convention is a commitment by "States Parties" to comply with the articles of the Convention and thereby to protect and enhance the basic rights of children through their policies, programs and services.

Article 31 states:

That every child has the right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

That member governments shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.

Article 3 states that, in all actions concerning children, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.

Article 12 gives the child the right to express his/her views freely and have them considered.

The Convention also states that education should be directed to a broad range of developmental areas, including the child's personality, talents, and mental and physical abilities (article 29).

Play and recreation activities can play a significant role in fulfilling the child's right to "the highest attainable standard of health" and to "preventive health care", as set out in article 24.

Article 23 gives children with disabilities the right to recreation and the fullest possible social integration and individual development.

Article 30 states that children of ethno-cultural minorities, or of indigenous origin, have the right to enjoy their own culture, which would include their own forms of play/recreation.

Article 19 is also relevant to play and recreation in that it aims to prevent child abuse and childhood injury. Adults have a responsibility to ensure that children have safe environments and materials for their leisure activities.

These are just a few examples of the relevance of the Convention to children's play.

For more information on the Rights of the Child, go to http://www.unicef.org/crc/index_30197.html