INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS RELATED TO
REFUGEE CHILDREN CLAIMS

Global International Child Instruments

• League of Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child 1924
  
• UN Declaration on Rights of the Child 1959
  
• UN Convention on Rights of the Child 1989
  
• World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and its Plan ofAction 1990
  
• Rules of Procedure of the Meetings of the State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of theChild 1991
  
  

Regional Instruments

• Declaration of the Rights and Welfare of the African Child 1979
  
• African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child 1990
  
• The Charter on the Rights of the Arab Child of the League of Arab States
  
• Latin American Charter on the Rights of the Child (proposal)
  
• European Convention for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (proposal)
  
  

General Human Rights Instruments with Provisions that Relate to Children

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948
• American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man 1948
• European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 1950 (Protocol No. 1, 1952; Protocol No. 7, 1984)
• European Social Charter 1961
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966
• American Convention on Human Rights 1969
• Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Helsinki Final Act 1975
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1965
• African Charter on Human and People's Rights 1981
• Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the area of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 1988
  

Status and Capacity

• Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages 1962
  
• Recommendation on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages 1965
  
• Council of Europe Resolution on the Lowering of the Age of Full Legal Capacity 1972
  
• European Convention on the Legal Status of Children Born out of Wedlock 1975
  
  

Parental Responsibilities

• Hague Convention on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations Towards Children 1956
  
• Hague Convention on the Recognition of Enforcement Decisions Relating to Maintenance Obligations 1973
  
• Council of Europe Recommendation on Payment by the State of Advances on Child Maintenance 1982
  
• Council of Europe Recommendation on Parental Responsibilities 1984
  
• Inter-American Convention on Support Obligations 1989
  
  

Child Protection and Placement

• Hague Convention Concerning the Powers of Authorities and the Law Applicable in Respect tothe Protection of Infants 1961
  
• Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law and Recognition of Decrees Relating to Adoptions 1965
  
• European Convention on the Adoption of Children 1967
  
• Council of Europe Resolution on Placement of Children 1977
  
• Council of Europe Recommendation on Foster Families 1987
  
• Inter-American Convention on the Conflict of Laws Concerning the Adoption of Minors 1984
  
• United Nations Declaration on Social and Legal Principles relating to the Protection and Welfareof Children, with Special Reference to Foster Placement and Adoption Nationally andInternationally 1986
  
  

International Return of Children

• Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980
  
• European Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions Concerning Custody ofChildren and on Restoration of Custody of Children 1980
  
• Inter-American Convention on the International Return of Children 1989
  
  

Juvenile Justice

• United National Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice 1985
  
• United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty 1990
  
• United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency 1990
  
  

Education

• UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education 1960
  
• Protocol Instituting a Conciliation and Good Offices Commission to be Responsible for Seeking aSettlement of Any Disputes Which May Arises Between States Parties to the Convention AgainstDiscrimination in Education 1962
  
• UNESCO Recommendation Concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operationand Peace and Education Relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 1974
  
• European Community Directive on the Education of the Children of Migrant Workers 1977
  
  

Child Labor and Trafficking

• ILO Convention on Slavery 1926
  
• ILO Convention on Forced or Compulsory Labour 1930
  
• ILO Conventions on Medical Examination of Young Persons 1946
  
• ILO Conventions on Night Work of Young Persons 1946-1948
  
• Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions andPractices Similar to Slavery 1956
  
• ILO Convention on Abolition of Forced Labor 1959
  
• ILO Convention on Minimum Age 1973
  
• Convention Concerning Migration in Abusive Conditions and the Promotion of Equality ofOpportunity and Treatment of Migrant Workers 1974
  
• ILO Convention on Migrant Workers 1975
  
• International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families 1990
  
  

Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation

• International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic 1904
  
• International Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children 1921
  
• Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others 1949
  
• European Recommendation on the Fight against Drug Abuse and Trafficking 1984
  
• Programme of Action of the UN Commission on Human Rights for the Prevention of the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography 1992
  
• UNESCO Convention on Sexual Exploitation 1995
  
• Programme of Action of the UN Commission on Human Rights for the Prevention of the Trafficin Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others 1996
  
  

Child Health, Survival and Development

• WHO and UNICEF Declaration of Alma-Ata 1978
  
• World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children 1990
  
• Plan of Action for Implementing the World Declaration on the Survival Protection and Development of Children 1990
  
  

Children in Armed Conflicts

• Geneva Convention No. 4 Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War 1949
  
• Declaration on the Promotion among Youth Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding between Peoples 1965
  
• Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict 1974
  
• Geneva Protocol No. 1 Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts 1977.
  
• Geneva Protocol No. 2 Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts 1977.
  
• Council of Europe Recommendation regarding Conscientious Objection to Compulsory Military Service 1987
  
  

Refugee Children

• UNHCR Note on Policies and Procedures in Dealing with Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum 1987
  
• UNHCR Guidelines on Refugee Children 1988
  
• UNHCR Policy on Refugee Children 1993
  
  

Disabled Children

• UN Declaration of Rights of the Mentally Disabled 1971
  
• WHO's North-American Rehabilitation Act 1973
  
• UN Declaration of the Rights of the Disabled 1975
  
• WHO Guidelines on Quality Assurance in Mental Health Care
  
  

Miscellaneous

• UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 1984
  

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