Colloquium on the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child

The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child was signed on November 20, 1999. It contains 42 articles relating to children’s survival, development, protection, and participation in society. Somalia and the United States are the only U.N. nations that have not ratified the treaty. 

On June 1 and 2, 2009, the Georgetown Juvenile Justice Clinic and the U.S. Committee to Ratify the CRC sponsored a colloquium entitled The Convention on the Rights of the Child: Why It is Time to Ratify at Georgetown Law Center.  Six panels discussed the Convention in the context of Education, Health, Participation, Special Protection Measures, Supportive Environments for Children, and Needs, Rights, and the Human Family.

Plenary addresses were delivered by Marian Wright Edelman, President and Founder of  the Children's Defense Fund, Kul Gautum, Former U.N. Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, and Yanghee Lee, Chair of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child.  Georgetown faculty spoke on panels concerning special protections for youth and youth participation in decision-making.

If you are interested in viewing excerpts from the event, please click here.