Revisiting Children's Rights : 10 Years of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, passed in 1989, was the first universal treaty dedicated solely to the promotion and protection of the interests of children. In its first decade the Convention achieved near-universal ratification and is now the most widely ratified human rights treaty ever. In addition, as a consequence of its influence, children's human rights have been mainstreamed and are now prioritised at all levels within the United Nations and other regional organisations. This book provides the first comprehensive overview of the first decade of the Convention. It also brings together leading scholars and activists who place the Convention in a wider context and revisit contemporary debates and controversies in children's rights to assess the extent to which these issues have been influenced by the Convention in its first decade. Papers From A Series Of Lunchtime Seminars That Took Place In The Autumn Of 1999 At The Institute Of Commonwealth Studies At The University Of London To Commemorate The Tenth Anniversary Of The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child. Foreword / Mary Robinson -- Ch. 1. One Step Forward Or Two Steps Sideways? Assessing The First Decade Of The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child / Deirdre Fottrell -- Ch. 2. Children And Cultural Diversity / Michael Freeman -- Ch. 3. Islamic Perspectives On The Rights Of The Child / M. Siraj Sait -- Ch. 4. Feminism And Children's Rights: The Politics Of Voice / Hilary Lim And Jeremy Roche -- Ch. 5. Interpretations Of Children's Identity Rights / Katherine O'donovan -- Ch. 6. The Impact Of The Convention On The Case-law Of The European Court Of Human Rights / Ursula Kilkelly -- Ch. 7. Children And Armed Conflict: Some Issues Of Law And Policy / Jenny Kuper -- Ch. 8. Ending Corporal Punishment Of Children / Peter Newell. Edited By Deirdre Fottrell. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.