International Relations : International Organisations

Q 38 / 59

UPSC CSE Prelims 2010

With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, consider the following:

  1. The Rights of Development
  2. The Right to Expression
  3. The Right to Recreation

Which of the above is/are the Rights of the child?

EXPLANATION

Correct Option

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), adopted in 1989, is a comprehensive international treaty that delineates the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of children. The Convention organizes these rights into several broad categories:

  • The Right to Survival and Development: This category includes rights related to health, education, and an adequate standard of living, thereby encompassing the Right to Development.
  • The Right to Participation: This covers freedoms such as expression, opinion, thought, and religion, directly including the Right to Expression.
  • The Right to Leisure and Recreation: Article 31 of the UNCRC specifically affirms the child's right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to their age, and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. This explicitly includes the Right to Recreation.

Therefore, all three listed rights-the Rights of Development, the Right to Expression, and the Right to Recreation-are recognized under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Incorrect Options

Option (a) is incorrect because it suggests that only the Right to Development is a right of the child, while the Right to Expression and the Right to Recreation are also fundamental rights recognized by the UNCRC.

Option (b) is incorrect as it omits the Right to Expression, which is a key component of the UNCRC's Right to Participation.

Option (c) is incorrect because it excludes the Right to Development, a core aspect of the UNCRC's Right to Survival and Development.

SOURCEIndia Year Book 2010, Chapter: International Relations