1.10 Summary

1. The UN Convention and the African Charter contain rights relating to the provision of services, such as education and health; protection from harm, such as violence and exploitation; and participation, including the right to be heard and to be given information.
2. Four general principles of the UN Convention and the African Charter need to inform the realisation of all other rights: non-discrimination, maximum survival and development, the best interests of the child and child participation.
3. The UN Convention and the African Charter both address the wide-ranging rights of children, but the African Charter has adapted some of those rights to address the particular situation of children in Africa.
4. All rights are interconnected and indivisible.
5. There is an international body called the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which is responsible for monitoring how far governments are progressing in implementing the UN Convention. A similar body exists for the African Charter.
6. The rights contained in both the UN Convention and the African Charter have direct relevance for the role of health workers, and need to be understood and addressed in your day-to-day work.