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27 - Committee on the Rights of the Child

Overcoming Inertia in This Age of No Alternatives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Malcolm Langford
Affiliation:
Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo
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Summary

INTRODUCTION: OVERCOMING INERTIA IN THIS AGE OF NO ALTERNATIVES

It is ironic that an economic right, the right of the unborn to inherit property, is recognised and well protected by many countries. Yet, the economic and social rights of children, whilst alive, are rarely as well protected. This is despite the recognition by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights', amongst others, that the true and full protection of children requires their enjoyment of all rights, including their economic, social and cultural rights enshrined in treaty law, such as those in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was, at its adoption, a pioneering global treaty embracing the full range of human rights – civil, political, economic, social and cultural – in one treaty with a unified monitoring body. At the time of drafting, some cynicism was expressed about the wisdom of this ‘alternative’ approach but time has shown that the holistic approach of the Convention on the Rights of the Child has served to challenge the concept that child poverty only concerns economic and social rights and that in order to eradicate child poverty the full range of rights needs to be considered. The importance of civil and political rights in combating child poverty ought not to be overlooked.

Type
Chapter
Information
Social Rights Jurisprudence
Emerging Trends in International and Comparative Law
, pp. 569 - 588
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

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