THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD (UNCRC)

 

 

 

The UNCRC is a special charter established in 1989.  Singapore signed the charter in 1995.

 

Four Key Principles of the UNCRC

1. Non-Discrimination - All children should be granted equal opportunities to advance in society regardless of sex, race, language, religion or socio-economic status.

 

2. Best Interests of the Child - All decisions regarding children should be made to maximize their benefits.

 

3. Survival, Development and Protection - All children deserve a safe and nurturing environment to grow and develop, free from abuse and exploitation.

 

4. Participation - We should allow and encourage all children to be fully involved in the artistic, cultural and intellectual life of our society.

What we can do

We adults should spend more time with our own children as well as groups of other children by participating in sports, arts or other social activities together.  We should be more willing to listen to their opinions and respect their preferences, choices, uniqueness and individuality.  We should take pains to impart our wisdom to them and instil good moral behavior by setting the right examples.

The objective is, of course, to ensure that by carefully nurturing our children, we can produce new generations of useful citizens, responsible leaders and fulfilled inheritors of this planet.