Faith and Children's Rights

Arigatou International presented a preview of Faith and Children’s Rights: A Multi-religious Study on the Convention on the Rights of the Child in a special session on children held during the Kofi Annan Faith Briefing at the UN High Level Political Forum in New York on July 15, 2019. Hosted by UNICEF and Arigatou International, this two-hour session featured speakers including the Executive Director of UNICEF, the President of Arigatou International, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, the Permanent Representative of Jordan to the UN and the Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN. Leaders of diverse religions, international organizations and key partners for the CRC Study, the JLI-FAC and KAICIID, participated in two panel discussions on the key findings of the Study which focused on: shared values between the world’s major religions and the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and good practices and evidence on actions taken by religious leaders to safeguard children’s rights.

To encourage further implementation of the CRC as a key legal and ethical framework for safeguarding children’s rights and to address the many risks facing children today, this policy brief highlights the specific recommendations from the Study, seeking to strengthen partnerships between religious communities and governments on advancing the implementation of the CRC and strengthening child protection.

Faith and Children’s Rights: A Multi-religious Study on the Convention on the Rights of the Child was formally launched on the 30th Anniversary of the adoption of the CRC at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, in November 2019. The launch was attended by over 120 representatives of Permanent Missions to the UN, religious communities, UN agencies, civil society organizations and child delegates from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Pakistan and Brazil. Rev. Keishi Miyamoto, President of Arigatou International, welcomed the speakers and participants (via video). Diverse religious leaders and human rights experts discussed key findings of the Study, and the need to promote the complementarity between child rights and the seven religions examined. Participants underscored the importance of faith actors, governments and human rights advocates working together to strengthen child protection and safeguarding measures at the local and national levels.

When the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child in November 1989, UNICEF reached out to religious leaders, who joined us in urging governments to ratify it. Many faith-based leaders were already well versed in the principles of the Convention, having been involved in its drafting from the start. Due to support from the faith community and other partners around the world, it has since become the most ratified human rights treaty in history.

Arigatou International developed Faith and Children’s Rights: A Multi-religious Study on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to mark the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the CRC in 2019. The Study is the work of numerous partners, including religious leaders, scholars, human rights experts, and is enriched by the voices of children. Key partners include UNICEF, the former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC), the International Dialogue Center (KAICIID) and World Vision International.