What does the Children’s Rights Report 2013 say?

What is the Children’s Rights Report 2013?

In 2013, the National Children's Commissioner went around Australia listening to over 1000 children, on a Big Banter national listening tour, which is the focus of this report.

What are human rights?

Our human rights are the things we all need to have a good life. They also make sure we are kind and fair to each other.

Children’s rights are written down in a document called the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is also explained in this report.

As a child, you have the right to:

• be treated fairly
• have a say about decisions affecting you
• live and grow up healthy
• get information that is important to you
• be safe, no matter where you are or who you are with
• be cared for and have a home
• privacy
• get an education
• know who you are and where you come from.

The United Nations

There is a special group of people called the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. These people watch out for children all over the world and tell governments how they can better protect children’s rights.

In 2012, the Committee looked at what life is like for children in Australia and told the Australian Government what it could do to make things better. They said that Australia does a lot of good things for children and young people, but that the Government can still do more. They were worried that some children:

• are being treated unfairly
• are being bullied and hurt
• are not getting the education they need
• can’t live with their parents
• are not as happy or as healthy as they could be
• do not have homes
• are in trouble with the law and need help
• are locked up
• are exposed to violence.

Australia needs to listen to children and young people and work harder to help them.