Children's rights are a special group of human rights that apply to all young people under the age of 18. Children's rights are written down in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the United Nations in 1989.

The contracting states, including South Africa, have undertaken to implement children's rights nationally - for example by passing laws, raising awareness, creating structures and institutions to protect and strengthen the rights of young people, checking compliance with children's rights standards or strengthening the political participation of young people.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child includes 54 articles with extensive protection, care and participation rights - such as the right to protection from violence, the right to education or the right to participation and consideration of opinion.

The four basic principles of the convention are:

• the priority of the best interests of the child
• the right to equal treatment (ban on discrimination)
• the right to advancement and development
• the right to have a say and participate

Children's rights apply to everyone under the age of 18. This means that whenever the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child speaks of a "child", all minors are meant, while colloquial language and national law often distinguish between children, young people, minors and minors of legal age. However, children's rights apply to everyone under the age of 18.

However, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child takes into account the individual age and maturity of a child when formulating children's rights. For example, Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states: “States Parties shall ensure that the child who is capable of forming his own opinions has the right to freely express his opinions in all matters affecting the child and shall take the opinion of the child into account appropriate for the child and in accordance with his age and maturity.” South African national law is also often based on individual maturity or certain age thresholds: for medical treatment, for example, the consent of the child who is capable of discernment and judgement is required, or children from the age of five must be in custody proceedings be heard. 16-year-olds can also vote for political representatives. All of these are aspects of the children's right to participation, which applies to all children and young people under the age of 18 - but taking their age and maturity into account.

South Africa recognized the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1995 and thus committed itself to implement children's rights nationally as well. A year later, the South African government enshrined children's rights in the basic laws of the Constitution under Article 28: "Every child has the right to food, shelter, health care, and social services and the right to be protected from bullying, neglect, abuse or humiliation."

Every five years, the United Nations checks compliance with children's rights. The supplementary report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child shows where there are still problems in South Africa.

SOS Children's Villages also keeps an eye on what steps are needed so that ALL children in South Africa can grow up well.