1. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
20 years ago on the 16th of December 2011 the government signed a document that gives you all of these rights and lots more.
This document was called…
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
(UNCRC)

2. Adults should always try to do what is best for you.
Article 3
Adults should always try to do what is best for you.
That includes your parents, teachers, police, nurses and everyone else who has a responsibility to keep you safe and well.
“Happy because mom and I are together!”
© Claire Isaac / Action for Children / PhotoVoice
From Rights Cameras Action! UK

3. You have the right to life.
Article 6
You have the right to life.
No one is allowed to do anything that could put your life in danger.
“What future will she have?”
© Tahmeena 2010 / MSPA / PhotoVoice
From Visible Rights, Afghanistan

4. You have the right to be heard.
Article 12
You have the right to be heard.
You can give your opinion on anything that’s happening which affects you.
“It's important people listen to me and respect my opinions because otherwise I wouldn't have a say in where I had to live. I might end up in some hole!”
© Rachel Jones / Action for Children / PhotoVoice
From Rights Cameras Action! UK

5. You have the right to express yourself.
Article 13
You have the right to express yourself.
This means you can say, write or in any other way express what you think as long as it doesn’t disrespect anyone else’s rights or create a threat to national security.
© Mhairi & Siobha / Action for Children / PhotoVoice
From Rights Cameras Action! UK

6. You have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Article 14
You have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
This means that you can think about what you want and make your own decisions about things like religion. Adults should give you as much information as possible to help you make your decision.
“This is me with another Christian. It shows people sharing the same belief.”
© Jacob Smith / Action for Children / PhotoVoice
From Rights Cameras Action! UK

7. You have the right to meet people and gather in public.
Article 15
You have the right to meet people and gather in public.
You can meet and spend time with your friends peacefully and no one should stop you.
“Friends are always there when you have a problem.”
© Laura Jones / Action for Children / PhotoVoice
From Rights Cameras Action! UK

8. The government should make sure you get lots of information.
Article 17
The government should make sure you get lots of information.
The mass media should be encouraged to help with this. This can help you make your own decisions and not just do what you’re told.
© Emmanelle 2011 / Action for Children / PhotoVoice

9. Article 19
The government must do everything they can to protect you from violence, abuse and neglect.
The government has a duty to make sure you’re not hurt and they must take action if you have been.
“She is crying, didn't speak, and hiding. I want people to speak when they need help.”
© Nichole / Action for Children / PhotoVoice
From Rights Cameras Action! UK

10. You have the right to education.
Article 28
You have the right to education.
This is primary, secondary and higher education. You have to be given the opportunity to learn.
“That's me when I got 5 A''s for my school report for this year.”
© Arrol Tissle / Action for Children / PhotoVoice

11. Article 28 continued
Any discipline in your school should not make you feel embarrassed or humiliated.
If it makes you feel embarrassed you shouldn’t be told off in front of the whole class.
© Arrol Tissle / Action for Children / PhotoVoice

12. Article 29
Your education must make the most of your personality, talents and abilities.
You should have the opportunity to achieve the most you possibly can.
“The runner in first place is really fast. Everyone stopped to watch him, even the jumpers at the front. It made me think about the importance of developing talent in young people.”
© Emanuelle / Action for Children / PhotoVoice

13. You have the right to rest and play.
Article 31
You have the right to rest and play.
You should be able to enjoy yourself and not have too much work to do.
© Sohrab 2010 / MSPA / PhotoVoice
From Visible Rights, Afghanistan

14. The government should make sure you know about your rights.
Article 42
The government should make sure you know about your rights.
You should have education like this assembly to make sure you know how people shouldn’t treat you.
“This is me when I'm older teaching other children about rights and other stuff.”
© Emanuelle / Action for Children / PhotoVoice

15. What can you do if people abuse your rights?
It’s best to speak to someone that you can trust. This could be your teacher, parent or anyone else.
If they’re not able to sort it out there’re some advice lines that you can call.
There’s one that’s called the You’ve Got the Right Advice service. You can call them on

16. We want your feet!
To celebrate 20 years of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child we’re going to Downing Street and we want to take all of your feet with us!
We want you to draw round one of your feet on a piece of card, cut it out and write a message on it to the Prime Minister saying why this convention is important to you.