The CRC was the first legally binding international instrument which set standards for the civic, economic, social and political rights of children under the age of 18. It consists of 54 articles and two optional protocols.

The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. Every right spelled out in the Convention is inherent to the human dignity and harmonious development of every child. The Convention protects children's rights by setting standards in health care; education; and legal, civil and social services.

The optional protocols deal with rights of children involved in armed conflict, sale of children, prostitution and child pornography.

It is the most widely signed of all UN treaties. To date, 195 countries have ratified it; South Sudan and Somalia ratified the CRC in May 2015. Only the United States remains as a non-signatory to the treaty.

FAWCO endorses CRC and has joined other NGOs in urging the US Senate to ratify the treaty as soon as possible. In late 2015, in honor of International Children's Day and in collaoration withFAWCO's UN NGO Reps Team, FAWCO's US Liaison promoted an advocacy campaign to FAWCO members, with letters to President Obama and key US Senators encouraging them to ratify CRC as soon as possible. 

        

Key Links

UNICEF- Rights of the Child www.un.org/rights/dpi1765e.htm

Campaign for US Ratification of CRC www.childrightscampaign.org

Amnesty  International – Rights of the Child www.amnesty.org/en/children

Child Right International Network (CRIN) www.crin.org

Welcome to our new UN Youth Rep, Vali Mitsakis. Vali is from Greece; her mother is a member of AWO Greece. She was active with the Model UN in high school, and she's spending a year in New York, where she's keeping very busy going to UN meetings and learning about the UN's post-2015 sustainable development agenda.

FAWCO's first UN Youth Rep was Gavin Higbie (pictured below at UN Headquarters in New York, third from left). Gavin is the son of Erica Higbie (FAUSA, AWC Perth) who is an active FAWCO volunteer; she serves as our UN Rep in New York and as the Chair of the Human Rights Team. 

Gavin attended UN meetings live in New York and via Webcast throughout 2014 and reported via a blog. He attended the UN Youth Assembly on February 5 and 6, 2014 and posted blogs about his experiences.

This is a great way for your club's teenagers to engage in global issues and get involved with other FAWCO youths. Please encourage your club's teenagers to check our Youth Program webpages.

To follow Gavin's UN Youth Rep Blog, click here.

Violence against women and girls is a horrific worldwide phenomenon.

It has been estimated that one in three women (35%) of women worldwide have experienced intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.

Intimate partner violence is the most common however other forms of violence include human trafficking, sexual violence including when it is used a s tactic of war and harmful traditional practices such as early forced marriages, female genital mutilation and so called “honor” killings.

Globally, as many as 38% of murders of all women are committed by an intimate partner.

Gender based violence cuts across ethnicity, race, class, religion, education and international borders.

Click here for more information about FAWCO’s Sub-Committee on Ending Violence against Women and Children
 

Key Links

World Heath Organization Fact Sheet on VAW www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs239/en/

Say No to Violence - Join the orange campaign to fight violence against women www.saynotoviolence.org/

UNITE- UN Secretary General’s Campaign to End Violence against Women www.un.org/en/women/endviolence

UN Women- support for Ending VAW  www.unwomen.org/

US Strategy to End Violence against Women and Girls http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/article/2012/08/20120812134584.html#axzz2nkXBZuih