1924 - 2024
A renewed
commitment to
children's rights
Advocate for Children’s Rights
2024 Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child
A Century of Children’s Rights is worth a celebration! Since the 1924 Geneva Declaration, substantial progress has been made with regard to the well-being and protection of children, notably in the health and education sectors. Yet, it’s profoundly troubling that in 2024, these advances are eclipsed by the violence affecting children — a child dies every five minutes according to United Nations statistics, — and by emerging challenges such as digitization and the climate crisis.
It is high time to update the “Geneva Declaration” and mobilize collective consciousness around a renewed commitment to children’s rights: the 2024 Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child.
2024 Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child
Already Committed
Today, by celebrating the 2024 Geneva Declaration, we reaffirm our commitment to uphold the rights of all children. Protecting children’s rights to safety, education, and dignity is not just ... +
Virginia Gamba
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
Argentina
Today, by celebrating the 2024 Geneva Declaration, we reaffirm our commitment to uphold the rights of all children. Protecting children’s rights to safety, education, and dignity is not just a moral duty but an imperative. This is crucial for their future and for building lasting peace.
Our 2024 Geneva Declaration on the Rights of Rights of the Child is an aspirational call to mobilize and to truly put children at the centre of our collective human concern. But vision without acti... +
Philip D. Jaffé
Professor; Member, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Switzerland
Our 2024 Geneva Declaration on the Rights of Rights of the Child is an aspirational call to mobilize and to truly put children at the centre of our collective human concern. But vision without action is a daydream, we must now bend political will into concrete steps fulfinling the rights of all children.
One Hundred Years of Working for Children’s Rights. As we commemorate the first 100 years since the Geneva Declaration, it is good to remember we are part of a long chain of advocates; our wo... +
Amihan V. Abueva
Regional Executive Director, Child Rights Coalition Asia
Philippines
One Hundred Years of Working for Children’s Rights. As we commemorate the first 100 years since the Geneva Declaration, it is good to remember we are part of a long chain of advocates; our work to defend children’s rights is never completely done but every effort counts, there will be new leaders who will continue to work with children to face new challenges worldwide.
Volker Türk
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Austria
By celebrating and ‘updating’ the Geneva Declaration, we pay tribute to the early child rights champions, and we recommit to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of all children en... +
Ann Skelton
Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
South Africa
By celebrating and ‘updating’ the Geneva Declaration, we pay tribute to the early child rights champions, and we recommit to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of all children enshrined in the UNCRC and its Optional Protocols. We remind ourselves there is still an enormous amount of work to be done.
It is very important at this moment in time to recommit to the re... +
Christina Nomdo
Western Cape Commissioner for Children
South Africa
It is very important at this moment in time to recommit to the realisation of child rights. Not only because we commemorate the global commitment made 100 years ago, but because child rights realisation is still an ideal for many children across the world. Times have changed, requiring us all to reflect on how we evolve our thinking on child rights. But at the same time, the fundamentals have not shifted significantly – we still require child rights champions to promote and protect child rights.
100 years after the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child, we celebrate significant advances for many children around the world. We also recommit to addressing the threats and obst... +
Jo Becker
Children's Rights Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
United States of America
100 years after the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child, we celebrate significant advances for many children around the world. We also recommit to addressing the threats and obstacles that continue to rob children of their rights. As we move into a new century of advocacy, our child rights community is more important than ever.
The end... +
Aneeta Ghoorah
Ombudsperson for Children
Mauritius
The endorsement of this Renewed Declaration is a must. Over the last 100 years, some progress—but only some—has been made with regard to the protection and safeguard of the several rights of children. The second reason responds directly to an evolved context where new challenges have emerged, especially with the rapid progress in technology. It thus behooves us all to commit ourselves to fulfilling our universal obligations that are so succinctly captured in the 2024 Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child.
Il y a cent ans, Eglantyne Jebb a déclenché un mouvement universel : celui des droits de l’enfant ! Sa Déclaration, officialisée par la Société des Nations, symbolise la révolution du statut ... +
Jean Zermatten
Ancien président, Comité des droits de l'enfant de l'ONU
Suisse
Il y a cent ans, Eglantyne Jebb a déclenché un mouvement universel : celui des droits de l’enfant ! Sa Déclaration, officialisée par la Société des Nations, symbolise la révolution du statut de l’enfant, devenu personne, qui ne doit pas seulement être protégé et éduqué, mais qui détient ses propres droits ! Saura-t-on assez la remercier ?
« Je crois que nous devrions revendiquer certains droits pour les enfants et œuvrer pour leur reconnaissance universelle »
EGLANTYNE JEBB
2024 Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child
Stand up for Children's Rights!
Every signature counts, yours more than any other.
If you do not sign the Declaration, it is as if you have chosen not to make your voice heard.
Explore the list
of signatories
Dignitaries
Virginia Gamba - Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict- Yanghee Lee - Former Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Jo Becker - Children's Rights Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
- Anwarul K. Chowdhury - Ambassador, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and two times chair of the UNICEF Executive Board
- Mikiko Otani - Member & Former Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; President, Child Rights Connect
- Ann Skelton - Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Renate Winter - Former Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Prominent endorsers
- Hans Kumar Sharma - Professor of Law, ICFAI University, Jaipur, India
- Laura Korhonen - Professor, Head of Barnafrid, the Swedish National Centre for Knowledge on Violence Against Children at Linköping University, Barnafrid, the Swedish National Centre for Knowledge on Violence Against Children at Linköping University
- Marta Gil Gonzalez - Deputy Head of Programme Access to Justice for Children, Terre des hommes - Lausanne Fondation
- Patricio Cuevas-Parra - Director, Child Participation & Rights, World Vision
- Erinda Ballanca - Ombudswoman, People's Advocate of Albania
- Jo Becker - Children's Rights Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
- Anne Mitaru - International Director - Advocacy, Brand and Communications, SOS Children's Villages International
Organizations
- ENOC (European Network of Ombudspersons for Children)
- Department of Human Rights and Politics, Institute of Political and International Studies, ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences
- Australian Child Rights Taskforce
- Defence for Children – ECPAT Netherlands
- QFCC (Queensland Family and Child Commission)
- ChildFund Korea
- Plataforma 3 Voces
- CISMAI
- Pope Road Kindergarten
- Ordine dei medici del Canton Ticino
All signatories
- Rocio Cifuentes - Children Commissioner for Wales
- Sakshat Singh - Outreach executive, Aasraa Trust
- Norma Eslit - Executive Director-OIC, Gitib, Inc.
- Anne Mitaru - International Director - Advocacy, Brand and Communications, SOS Children Villages International
- Julian Sefton-Green - professor of new media education, Deakin University
- Helen Forrest - Chief Executive, Children Health Scotland
- Chris Quinn - Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People
Enfants
- Aldis, 15 years, Iceland
- Alex, 17 years, Armenia
- Alla, 17 years, Armenia
- Alvin, 11 years, Kenya
- Anna, 17 years, Armenia
- Annette, 13 years, Kenya
- Arina, 17 years, Armenia
- Arpi, 17 years, Armenia
- Bakhita, 12 years, Kenya
- Ben Berisha, 7 years, Kosovo
- Benjamin, 12 years, Kenya
- Bifon, 12 years, Kenya
- Blessing, 12 years, Kenya
- Bobana, 17 years, Montenegro
- Brilliant, 12 years, Kenya
- Bruno, 15 years, Switzerland
- Cecilia, 14 years, Switzerland
- Celestine, 13 years, Kenya
- Charline, 16 years, Switzerland
- Cicilia, 15 years, Kenya
- Clarice, 12 years, Kenya
From a Visionary’s Inspiration to Global Action
Celebrating 100 Years of the Children's Rights Declaration
The spirit of Geneva, imbued with values of humanism and social justice, continues to inspire today, urging us all to celebrate a century of children’s rights.
« Il n’y a clairement aucune impossibilité intrinsèque à sauver les enfants du monde. Ce n’est impossible que si nous le décidons, par notre refus de le tenter. »
EGLANTYNE JEBB
2024 Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child
Stand up for Children's Rights!
Every signature counts, yours more than any other.
If you do not sign the Declaration, it is as if you have chosen not to make your voice heard.