All children have the same rights, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, beliefs, HIV status, abilities or family background. Yet every day children, like adults, face discrimination for any number of reasons. Poverty is also a significant barrier to children achieving their rights and being treated fairly.
Children have the same rights even if they are not a national of the country in which they are living. In 2008, following lobbying from UNICEF UK, the UK Government withdrew its last two reservations to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, including one on immigration and nationality. This means that children seeking asylum and those who have been trafficked into the UK now have the same rights to education, health and support services as British children.
Through our community-based programmes, UNICEF strives to end cultural traditions and practices that harm children and to challenge gender-based violence.
Supporting children affected by HIV
Children and young people affected by HIV are often denied their rights because of their status or the status of members of their family. They may not want to disclose their status for fear of stigma and are therefore unable to access services. UNICEF supports children affected by HIV with grants and services including health care and counselling.
Here in the UK, the fifth richest country in the world, around four million children live in poverty. UNICEF UK, as a member of the End Child Poverty coalition, is working to ensure that the UK Government makes the necessary financial investment to fulfil its commitment to end child poverty in the UK by 2020.
Veasna's story
Veasna lives about an hour away from the capital of Cambodia with his parents and four siblings. He is 7 years old and was born with cerebral palsy, which affects both his mobility and speech. Read blog article...
