LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA• 15
The Right to Participate
The core principle of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child is child participation;
however, it also recognizes the difficulties
inherent in implementing these rights. The
Convention notes that there are risks to be dealt
with, such as the deliberate or misguided
exploitation of children for purposes that do not
serve their best interests. Children and young
people should have the right to be involved in all
decisions concerning them (Article 12), to
freedom of expression (Article 13), freedom of
thought, conscience and religion (Article 14) and
to freedom of association (Article 15). It is
essential that children have the right to privacy
(Article 16) and the right of access to
information (Article 17) which is important for
meaningful participation.The Right to Survival and Development
These rights cover all those aspects which children
require in order to reach their full potential, from
education and play to freedom of thought, conscience
and religion. Children have a right to information
and opportunities to develop life skills, and children
should have access to HIV prevention education, the
means to protect themselves from the impact of HIV,
and the skills to negotiate safer sex practices and
therefore be protected from infection.(^23) See Children on the Brink 2002, UNAIDS, UNICEF, USAID; also known as UNICEF Principles to Guide Programming with OVC.
Two major instruments describe the rights of
children with respect to HIV/AIDS. The first
instrument is known as the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, which was formulated for all
children, regardless of whether they are infected
and affected by HIV. It has been used as a
foundation on which other instruments have been
created to respond to children’s rights regarding
HIV. The second important instrument, Principles
to Guide Programming for Orphans and other
Children Affected by HIV/AIDS, was developed by
a group of organizations coordinated by
UNAIDS.
1.Convention on the
Rights of the Child
The United Nations Conventions on the Rights of
the Child^23 is a set of universal principles set up
for the survival, protection and development of
children. Its core principle is respect for the
dignity of children with intent to affirm the rights
of children. The four key principles are a child’s
right to
i. Participation
ii. Survival and Development
iii. Protection
iv. Non-discrimination
LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA• 15
Information Sheet 1:
Children’s Rights and HIV/AIDS