Children, youth rights and the law
Understand how Australian and international laws protect children's rights to safety, education, healthcare, and freedom from abuse and exploitation.
Summary
Children in Australia are protected in several ways through international agreements, especially the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. These protections include:
- Basic rights, such as:
- Safety and protection from violence
- Education, healthcare, and play
- Privacy and identity
- Having a say in decisions that affect them
- Additional safeguards under other treaties, including protection from:
- Armed conflict
- Slavery
- Child prostitution and pornography
The Australian Government reports to the UN every five years on how it upholds these commitments.
Know your rights
Children’s rights are protected by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention).Australia is one of 196 countries which have agreed to uphold the rights in the Convention, the most agreed to human rights treaty in the world.
The Convention includes the rights to:
- be treated fairly
- have a say about decisions that affect them
- be safe no matter where they are
- be safe from violence and abuse
- learn and play
- privacy
- healthcare
- know who they are and where they come from
- help and protection when they need it.
Learn about United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Discover how children's rights are protected internationally and in Australia. Explore resources and education initiatives.
Protections and rights for children and young people
Rights of the child
Every 5 years, the Australian Government reports to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child on how it is protecting children's rights and implementing the Convention.
Treaties
The Australian Government has also agreed to uphold children’s rights protected by other treaties.
Some examples include protection from:
- armed conflict
- slavery
- child prostitution
- child pornography.
