Anniversaries provide a convenient time to stop and look back on the event they commemorate, a time to take stock of what has been achieved and assess what remains to be done. November 20, 1979, will mark the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This year – the International Year of the Child – is particularly suited to this type of instrospection. IYC has put the spotlight on the situation of children all over the world and provided an impetus for child-related research. Drawing upon some of the statistics available, let us measure the rights the United Nations affirmed for children 20 years ago against the reality of their lives today.