Important documents

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Read CRAE’s summary of each of the articles in the Convention

Download the full version of the Convention

UNICEF Implementation Handbook

This comprehensive guide takes the reader through each article of the Convention, summarising state obligations and the jurisprudence of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Ready Steady Change participation training materials

Training and tools to increase children’s and young people’s participation in decision-making in a variety of settings. The materials stress each child and young person’s fundamental right to be heard, respected and taken seriously.

Concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

The international treaty monitoring body’s most recent analysis of UK progress in meeting its human rights obligations to children, with 124 recommendations for improvements in law, policy and practice. (Published October 2008)

Download a copy of the 2008 concluding observations from the UN Committee

State of children’s rights in England report

CRAE’s authoritative analysis of Government action in the 12 months up to November 2006 on each of the UN Committee’s 78 recommendations. The conclusion is that significant progress has only been made in 12 of the 78 recommendations. (Published November 2006)
Buy a copy of the report (£12 in the UK)

The Child and the European Convention on Human Rights

Written by Ursula Kilkelly in the late 1990s, this useful book summarises key judgements of the European Court of Human Rights in relation to children and young people.

The New Handbook of Children’s Rights: Comparative Policy and Practice

Edited by Bob Franklin, this is a great introduction to children’s rights debates.