Public Freedom of Children under the Convention on the Rights of the Child

• In Event: Comparative and Historical Analyses of State Institutions and Legislation

Abstract

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) explicitly stipulates substantial rights of children and associated forms of public freedom, including freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom of communication and use of the media. States are required to respect the rights and responsibilities of parents, and as the case may be, the guardians of children to direct children toward enjoying these rights in a way consistent to their inherent capacities.
In this way, children will be given the opportunity to enjoy their essential forms of freedom, including freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of communication, and to conform to social rules. These forms of freedom clearly affect the development process in children and prepare them for having a desirable dynamic life which combines social development and political maturity with a better understanding of the surrounding world.
Although the CRC only provides recommendations and guidelines with no sanction for enforceability, however it can help shaping children’s personalities in a free, dynamic, and consistent environment by requiring states to recognize and realize the rights and public freedom of children.
Keywords: Child, International Rights, Public Freedom

Author

• Mojgan Amrollahi Byouki, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg