A/RES/S-27/2
particular the United Nations Millennium Declaration,3 through national action and
international cooperation.
4.
We reaffirm our obligation to take action to promote and protect the rights of each
child – every human being below the age of 18 years, including adolescents. We are
determined to respect the dignity and to secure the well-being of all children. We
acknowledge that the Convention on the Rights of the Child,4 the most universally
embraced human rights treaty in history, and the Optional Protocols thereto,5 contain a
comprehensive set of international legal standards for the protection and well-being of
children. We also recognize the importance of other international instruments relevant for
children.
5.
We stress our commitment to create a world fit for children, in which sustainable
human development, taking into account the best interests of the child, is founded on
principles of democracy, equality, non-discrimination, peace and social justice and the
universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights,
including the right to development.
6.
We recognize and support parents and families or, as the case may be, legal
guardians as the primary caretakers of children, and we will strengthen their capacity to
provide optimum care, nurturing and protection.
7.
We hereby call upon all members of society to join us in a global movement that will
help to build a world fit for children by upholding our commitment to the following
principles and objectives:
1.
Put children first. In all actions related to children, the best interests of the
child shall be a primary consideration.
2.
Eradicate poverty: invest in children. We reaffirm our vow to break the
cycle of poverty within a single generation, united in the conviction that investments
in children and the realization of their rights are among the most effective ways to
eradicate poverty. Immediate action must be taken to eliminate the worst forms of
child labour.
3.
Leave no child behind. Each girl and boy is born free and equal in dignity and
rights; therefore, all forms of discrimination affecting children must end.
4.
Care for every child. Children must get the best possible start in life. Their
survival, protection, growth and development in good health and with proper
nutrition are the essential foundation of human development. We will make
concerted efforts to fight infectious diseases, tackle major causes of malnutrition and
nurture children in a safe environment that enables them to be physically healthy,
mentally alert, emotionally secure, socially competent and able to learn.
5.
Educate every child. All girls and boys must have access to and complete
primary education that is free, compulsory and of good quality as a cornerstone of an
inclusive basic education. Gender disparities in primary and secondary education
must be eliminated.
_______________
3
See resolution 55/2.
Resolution 44/25, annex.
5
Resolution 54/263, annexes I and II.
4
2