CRC and America
The Convention of the Rights of the Children (CRC) is an international treaty, illustrating the rights of children. Until now, 193 nations have ratified it. It was an effort form the UNO for the betterment of children who are facing grave issues like abuse, neglect, abandonment, prostitution, forced marriage, forced terrorism and unfortunately, the list goes on.
The convention describes children as humans having their own rights and freedom. They should not be treated as possessions. It has identified the importance of families for the better upbringing of children. It has put forth more than fifty rights for children across the globe. CRC works with governments to develop policies for betterment of children.
The only two countries who have not ratified the Convention are US and Somalia. It is disgrace for US that being one of the most developed nations and working upfront in human rights it still hasn’t ratified the CRC. This means that the US government will not work hand in hand with the CRC and other nations with respect to children rights. This abashment is not because the government doesn’t care for the betterment of children. It is mainly because of the ratification process in the US. The treaty has not been submitted to the senate. Maybe because of many other issues faced by US in the past, this issue has taken a back seat.
It is not that US is not facing any child rights issues, millions of kids in US are struggling through life crisis like child abuse and neglect, sexual harassment and pornography. The need of the hour is generating awareness about the ratification of CRC by the US government. People should realize its importance and act for it. Americans should organize meetings, have programs for creating awareness. They should completely exploit the media for raising responsiveness about the ratification. Once the US government realizes that even its people want it they will have to ratify the CRC.
CRC is working very hard in Latin American nations which are poor and due to which they have to homes to many gruesome child atrocities. Brazil was amongst the first few countries to have ratified the CRC and yet it witnesses murders of innocent children in the name of ‘cleaning-up’. This issue is being raised at every international human rights meeting and it is assumed that this issue will soon be eradicated.
