Last Updated: Friday, 10 February 2012, 12:40 GMT

Children

Refworld contains a wealth of documents related to children, including legal, policy and background information. This "Special Feature" on children is regularly maintained and contains legal, policy and operational material.

Legal Documents Related to Children
Convention on the Protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, Council of Europe, CETS 201, 12 July 2007, entry into force on 1 July 2010
Resolution 2005/20 on Guidelines on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime, Adopted by the UN Economic and Social Council at its 36th plenary meeting, 22 July 2005
Convention on the Rights of the Child (20 November 1989, entry into force on 2 September 1990) and its Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (25 May 2000, entry into force on 12 February 2002) and Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (25 May 2000, entry into force on 18 January 2002)
Resolution 1612 (2005) on Children and Armed Conflict, Adopted by the UN Security Council at its 5235th meeting, S/RES/1612 (2005), 26 July 2005
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 15 November 2000, entry into force on 25 December 2003
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, CAB/LEG/24.9/49 (1990), 11 July 1990
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, ILO, C182, 17 June 1999
United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of Their Liberty, Adopted by the UN General Assembly, A/RES/45/113, 14 December 1990
United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency ("The Riyadh Guidelines"), Adopted by the UN General Assembly, A/RES/45/112, 14 December 1990
Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, Hague Conference on Private International Law, 29 May 1993, entry into force on 1 May 1995
Inter-American Convention on International Traffic in Minors, Organization of American States, OAS, Treaty Series No. 79, 18 March 1994, entry into force on 15 August 1997
Declaration on Social and Legal Principles relating to the Protection and Welfare of Children, with Special Reference to Foster Placement and Adoption Nationally and Internationally, Adopted by the UN General Assembly, A/RES/41/85, 3 December 1986
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice ("The Beijing Rules"), Adopted by the UN General Assembly, A/RES/40/33, 29 November 1985
Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, Hague Conference on Private International Law, Hague XXVIII, 25 October 1980, entry into force on 1 December 1983
Minimum Age Convention, ILO, C138, 26 June 1973
European Convention on the Repatriation of Minors, Council of Europe, ETS 71, 28 May 1970 (not yet entered into force)
Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, 7 November 1962, entry into force on 9 December 1964
Hague Convention Concerning the Powers of Authorities and the Law Applicable in Respect of the Protection of Infants, Hague Conference on Private International Law, 5 October 1961, entry into force on 4 February 1969

UNHCR Policy Documents Related to Children
Guidelines on International Protection No. 8: Child Asylum Claims under Articles 1(A)2 and 1(F) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/09/08, December 2009
UNHCR Guidelines on Determining the Best Interests of the Child, May 2008
UNHCR Policy on Adoption, 22 August 1995
Refugee Children: Guidelines on Protection and Care, 1994
UNHCR Policy on Refugee Children, 6 August 1993

UNHCR ExCom and Standing Committee
At many occasions, UNHCR's Executive Committee has dealt with issues relating to children.
Executive Committee No. 107 (LVIII) - 2007 on Children at Risk, 5 October 2007
Children At Risk, Standing Committee, 38th meeting, EC/58/SC/CRP.7, 22 February 2007
Decision on the Five Global Priorities for Refugee Children, Standing Committee, 36th meeting, 27-29 June 2006
Executive Committee Conclusion No. 105 (LVI) - 2006 on Women and Girls at Risk, 6 October 2006
Executive Committee Conclusion No. 84 (XLVIII) - 1997 on Refugee Children and Adolescents, 17 October 1997
Executive Committee Conclusion No. 59 (XL) - 1989 on Refugee Children, 13 October 1989
Executive Committee Conclusion No. 47 (XXXVIII) - 1987 on Refugee Children, 12 October 1987
Executive Committee Conclusions relating to age, gender and diversity mainstreaming
Executive Committee Conclusions relating to children

Other Policy Documents Related to Children
IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 2009
The Paris Commitments to Protect Children From Unlawful Recruitment or Use By Armed Forces or Armed Groups, Adopted by a conference, jointly organized by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the French Government, on 6 February 2007
The Paris Principles. Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated With Armed Forces or Armed Groups, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), February 2007
General Comment No. 6: Treatment of Unaccompanied and Separated Children Outside their Country of Origin, United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, CRC/GC/2005/6, 3 June 2005
Inter-Agency Guiding Principles on Unaccompanied and Separated Children, ICRC; IRC; Save the Children; UNICEF; UNHCR; World Vision, January 2004
Statement of Good Practice, Separated Children in Europe Programme (SCEP), Third edition, 2004

Country-Specific Information
Concluding observations adopted by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
States Parties reports to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

Tools
Behind the Uniform : Training the military in child rights and child protection in africa, Save the Children, 2009
UNHCR Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls, UNHCR, First edition, January 2008
Field Handbook for the Implementation of UNHCR BID Guidelines, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, November 2011
Summary of UNHCR's Executive Committee Conclusion on Children at Risk No. 107 (LVIII) - 2007, October 2007
Best Interests Determination Children - Protection and Care Information Sheet, June 2007
The Lost Ones: Emergency Care and Family Tracing for Separates Children From Birth to Five Years, UNICEF, April 2007
UNHCR Tool for Participatory Assessment in Operations, May 2006
Action for the Rights of Children (ARC): Resource pack, 2009

Regions

Countries

Countries