4 Dec 13.15-15.00 room 402

In this session we're going to look at human rights from the perspective of the child. We'll give an overview of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (which is now Swedish law) and some key concepts within in. And as usual we'll ask some important questions, such as:

What, if anything, differs about human rights when applied to children?
What rights apply only to adults, to both children and adults, or only to children?
What does it mean to work 'in the best interests of the child'?

One of the really interesting aspects of human rights work is how it can relate to very specific, local issues and very very big global ones. So, our examples will explore this spectrum, from religious education in schools to the very pressing question of the rights of future generations. Through these examples we'll explore some key issues in child rights.

We'll also take questions clarifying assignment 2

Reading:

Bentakeas & Oette Ch 12 (Overview of the rights of the child and some key issues)
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 (see especially Articles 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12) https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child

On religious education in schools, read the above articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and have a think about this case example

Read the wording on freedom of religion in the UDHR and the child's right to freedom of religion in the UNCRC.
What role does Article 12 of the UNCRC play?
What about Article 5?

On child rights and future generations

Think about this:

How do we define 'future generations'?
What is the relationship between children/child rights and future generations?
Even more broadly: What does it mean that all human beings, including past and future, have human rights?

Some reading:

Maastricht Principles on the Rights of Future Generations (2023) https://www.rightsoffuturegenerations.org/the-principles (A new set of principles developed by lots of prominent human rights experts. See Preamble III and VII, and Arts 1, 4(c), 5(a), 6(e), 7(b), 22(c), which I found especially interesting)
https://www.openglobalrights.org/maastricht-principles-safeguarding-human-rights-future-generations/ (Short article explaining the principles)
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No 26 on children's rights and the environment (August 2023). Quite long so just see paragraphs 3, 11 and 63-65 https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRC%2FC%2FGC%2F26&Lang=en

See also

Goodhart Ch 14 (general overview on human rights and the environment, if you want a broader view)

Something to watch: Prof Aoife Nolan. Children, future generations and climate change law.