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UN Children's Rights Article of the Week

This week's UNCRC Article of the week is:

Article 3:

Adults should do what’s best for you.

What does this mean?

Article 3 of the UNCRC says that adults should think about the best interests of children and young people when making choices that affect them.

In practice, this means that:

• adults who know individual children and young people – such as their parents, guardians or teachers – should think about their best interests when they make decisions
• adults in positions of power – such as those who work in the Government or in courts of law – should think about the best interests of all children and young people in their jurisdiction when making laws.

Adults who know individual children and young people should:

• think about what’s best for them in their day to day lives
• make sure they are protected and cared for.

Adults in positions of power should:

• think about what’s best for children and young people in their day to day lives when making laws
• make sure children and young people are protected and cared for
• make sure that groups who protect and care for children and young people are good at what they do.

Article 3 is one of the most important articles in the UNCRC, and many other articles are related to it. It means that the interests of children and young people should be thought about at all levels of society, and that their rights should be respected by people in power.