June 1 is International Children's Day

CHILDREN AWAITING VACCINATION AGAINST POLIOMYELITIS

PHOTO: LUCAS NETO

Luanda - The world is celebrating on Sunday (June 1) the Internatiional Children?s Day, instituted by the United Nations to draw the attention of the adults to do more in favour of their well being.

The  date also serves as a reflection on the hundreds of children who continue to suffer from maltreatment , disease, starvation and discrimination .
 After World War II,  in 1945 , many countries in Europe ,  Middle East and China were going a very severe crisis, and did not have good living conditions , and the children of those nations lived very poorly because there was no food and the parents were more anxious to return to their normal life than raising children .

 They had no money, many parents took their children out of  school and put them to  work sometimes forced labour ,  for many hours .

 For this reason , in 1946 , a group of countries of the United Nations ( UN) started to address the problem . It was thus that they created the  United Nations Fund for Children ( UNICEF ) .

 Despite the creation of the UNICEF, it was hard to work for the children , since not all countries of the world were interested in the rights of the child .  Then,  in 1950 , the International Democratic Women's Federation proposed that the United Nations created and dedicated one day for the children of the world .

For the first time in the World , the day was celebrated on June 1, 1950 .
With the celebration of this day , the member states of the United Nations recognised  children’s right for  affection, love and

understanding, , adequate food , medical care , free education , regardless of race , colour, sex , religion, national or social origin, including protection against all forms of exploitation  .
 

Only nine years later , on 20 November 1959, the rights of children and the role went to several dozen of countries that are part of the UN that adopted the " Declaration on the Rights of the Child ."

 So when the "Declaration " turned 30 in 1989 , the UN also adopted the " Convention on the Rights of the Child " , which is a complete document ( 54 articles ) , with a set of laws for the protection of children.

This Declaration is so important that in 1990 it became an international law.
Here are the ten principles contained in the  "Declaration on the Rights of the Child:
1. The right to equality, without distinction on account of race, religion or national origin.

2. The right to special protection for the child’s physical, mental and social development.
3. The right to a name and a nationality.
4. The right to adequate nutrition, housing and medical services.
5. The right to special education and treatment when a child is physically or mentally handicapped.
6. The right to understanding and love by parents and society.
7. The right to recreational activities and free education.
8. The right to be among the first to receive relief in all circumstances.
9. The right to protection against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation.
10. The right to be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, and universal brotherhood.