CHILD RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE ON THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION

1. CHILD RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE ON THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION  WHO SEMINAR, TREVISO, ITALY (16TH-19TH SEPT, 2000)

2. THE UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTSOF THE CHILD adopted by the United Nations in 1989 accepted international definitions of children�s rights to ensure uniformity and conformity guarantees civil and political rights together with social, economic, cultural rights in one instrument

3. Participatory Rights (Civil Rights) Freedom of Opinion (Art 12) Right to have an opinion and have it considered in all decisions affecting the child Freedom on Expression (Art.13) The child shall have the right to express his/her views & make ideas Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion (Art. 14) The State shall respect this right subject to appropriate parental guidance and law on national and public safety Freedom to have access to appropriate information (Art.17) recognises the important role of the media

4. Article 12 - Right to an Opinion all children have this right -particularly in judicial or admin proceedings through (trained) counsel if necessary the opinion will be given due weight (respect) depending on the age and maturity of the child not a right to self-determination but rather child�s right to involve themselves in decision-making right to express the opinion �freely� means without coercion or constraints co-exists with Art 13 on freedom of expression participation can also be through media knowledge of this should be passed through schools children should be taught how to �decode� messages in the media (especially through advertising)

5. Children in Judicial Proceedings - Arts.12 and 13

6. Article 13 - Right to Expression freedom to seek, receive and impart knowledge - regardless of frontiers either orally, in writing, print, art or any other media of the child�s choice limitations: provided by laws deemed necessary respect for reputations of others protection of national security, public order, health and morals Many Constitutions of State Parties do include this Freedom however the Constitution should now specifically state how it applies to children and what restrictions exists in the child�s exercise of this right concern by many State Parties that this right is unfettered especially the lack of the words �parental guidance�

7. Art.14 - Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion �Thought & conscience� - is with regard to all the other participatory rights �Religion� - longer automatic that child follows the religion of the parents exceptions are: Art 8 (preservation of identity), Art.20 (preservation of religion when deprived of parental environment), Art 30 (right to practise religion) State Parties shall respect the rights and responsibilities of parents whom provide �direction� to the child direction must be in a manner consistent with child�s evolving capacities and in conformity with CRC limitation to this right laws, public health, morals, order and freedoms of others

8. Art. 17 - Right to access to appropriate information Important role of media should have info of social and cultural benefit - an educational tool with regard to freedom of expression �to seek, impart and receive information� with regard to special needs of the child (eg. linguistic) �access� - no special mention of rural/urban poor �Appropriate information� from national and international sources production and dissemination of children�s books for the promotion of child�s social and moral well-being promotion of child�s physical and mental health State - to have guidelines on what constitutes �injurious material�

9. No access to information .. but lots of expression!

10. Realisation of Participation Rights The media has a very important role to promote the various categories of rights

11. Promote Survival Rights

12. Promote Developmental Rights Right to name and nationality (art.7) right not to be separated from their parents (Art.9) right to privacy (Art. 16) Right to the highest standard of health (Art.24) Right to highest attainable standard of living (Art.27) right to appropriate alternative care (Art. 20,21, 23) right to education (Art.28, 29)

13. Promote Protection Rights from exploitative work (Art.32) from all other exploitative activities (Art.36)

15. Promote Protection from All forms of Violence (Art.19, 34)

16. Promote Joint Parental Responsibility - assisted by the State (Art.18)

17.  Promote the Right not to be Discriminated (eg.Girl Child) (Art.2)

18. To make Children�s Rights more of a reality and not merely a rhetoric Conclusion

19. CONCLUSION Not only important to have ratified to UN CRC Articles and principles should be translated into law programme and activities to encourage promotion of these rights Any reservations made by State Parties quite possibly made in haste understanding the actual intention of the articles concerned - should therefore be removed The UN Convention overcomes discrimination of sex, race, colour, creed and religion by making rights universal and inalienable It is therefore everyone�s responsibility to translate those principles into reality

20. Thank you...