Most countries around the world today celebrate a national children’s day. While these country-level celebrations usually honor a national icon who has contributed to the well-being of children in the country, the United Nations too has set aside a specific day to celebrate the children of the world.
Origins of Universal Children’s Day
Every year on November 20, Universal Children’s Day is celebrated by the U.N. It was first proclaimed in 1954 by the United Nations General Assembly as a day when nations would take heed of their efforts to promote the welfare of children, to initiate action to benefit them and to promote mutual understanding and exchanges between the children of the world.
Objectives of Universal Children’s Day
One of the major objectives of Universal Children’s Day is to protect the rights of children around the world. Since children do not have a vote and their well-being is largely taken care of by their parents, it became necessary for governments and world agencies to ensure that their rights are preserved and looked after.
The Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations on November 20, 1959 which was formed to promote the welfare of children and sought to meet the objectives outlined in the UN Charter. on November 20, 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations and the Universal Children’s Day, thereafter became a day when global agencies could assess whether the rights of the world’s children and their well-being is being adequately taken care of or not.
Goals of Universal Children’s Day celebrations
One of the major goals of Universal Children’s Day is to raise awareness towards the problems that children face like disabilities, minority issues, religion-based discriminations, being forced into child labor, not being allowed to have humanitarian access, attacks on children’s schools and hospitals abduction of children, killing and maiming of children, recruitment of child soldiers and the effect of physical and psychological trauma on children.
