UNCROC

An overview

UNCROC is about protecting children and young people. It is also about making sure that the voices of children and young people are heard in all matters affecting them.

The rights set out in UNCROC apply to those aged 17 years and below.

UNCROC is comprised of 54 articles of different kinds that set out a range of human rights standards for the treatment of children and young people.

Four of the articles constitute the general principles that underpin the Convention. These are:

• all children have the right to protection from discrimination on any grounds
• the best interests of the child should be the primary consideration in all matters affecting the child
• children have the rights to life, survival and development
• all children have the right to an opinion and for that opinion to be heard in all contexts.

To view a summary of the rights and principals of the Convention, see the related documents section at the bottom of the page.

There are also two Optional Protocols to UNCROC: the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography, which New Zealand has signed but not yet ratified, and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which New Zealand ratified in 2001.

Progress on UNCROC work programme

The Ministry of Youth Development released the UNCROC five-year work programme on 30 September 2004.

The work programme directly responds to the recommendations made to New Zealand by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UN Committee) following submission of New Zealand's second periodic report in 2000.

Since the inception of the work programme there have been three updates to Cabinet on progress with the work programme.

The most recent update was considered by Cabinet in September 2008 and noted that good progress has been made over the five year life of the work programme, which has informed the development of New Zealand's third and fourth consolidated periodic report sent to the United Nations in November 2008.

Key initiatives noted, which respond to the UN Committee's 2003 recommendations include:

• a range of legislation that improves alignment with UNCROC and takes account of the best interests of the child (Care of Children Act 2004, Prostitution Reform Act 2003, Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007)
• strengthening and improved resourcing of the Human Rights Commission and Children's Commissioner functions
• budgetary measures, for instance, investments in early childhood education, and in secondary school retention and achievement with a focus on education outcomes for Mäori and Pacific students and children with disabilities, and investments in health with free or highly subsidised access to primary healthcare and a range of targeted initiatives to improve health outcomes
• improved data collection, for instance the Children and Young People: Indicators of Wellbeing2008 report
• greater responsiveness and professionalism in relation to care and protection services
• increased and enhanced parenting programmes and a range of universal and targeted support services with a focus on eliminating violence in families
• Working for Families financial assistance
• New Zealand Defence Force provisions that respond to the Committee's specific recommendations in relation to the Optional Protocol to the Convention of the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.

The September 2008 update also provided as an appendix the current status of and update on each of the 29 work programme items.

To view the Cabinet paper summary and the status of the work programme items, refer to the related documents section at the bottom of this page.

Also included below is the first update on progress with the UNCROC five-year work programme, dating back to 2005 and a summary of the update provided to Cabinet in 2007.

 

Related Documents