Other children's human rights

In addition to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most significant international human rights instruments are:

  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights (often referred to as the international Bill of Rights)
  • Convention relating to the status of refugees and the 1967 protocol
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
  • Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
  • Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
  • Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  • Convention Against Torture
  • International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families  (UK has not yet ratified this treaty)
  • International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance  (UK has not yet ratified this treaty)
  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

UN complaints mechanisms
In December 2004, the UK acceded to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. This allows girls and women to make a "communication" to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in Geneva once they have exhausted all other ways of trying to get their rights under the Convention protected in the UK.

In August 2009, the UK ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This allows disabled children and adults to make a "communication" to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Geneva once they have exhausted all other ways of trying to get their rights under the Convention protected in the UK.

Contact CRAE's advice line for more information about using the Optional Protocols to protect your human rights.

Reporting to the UN
CRAE submits children's rights information to all of the international treaty monitoring bodies when they are examining the UK.

In 2008 we made submissions to the:

  • UN Human Rights Council
  • Committee on the Rights of the Child
  • Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  • Committee on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.