The 20th of November marks the Universal Children’s Day
20 November 2018
Universal Children’s Day (20 November)
The 20th of November marks the Universal Children’s Day
“The Smile of the Child” honors the Universal Children’s Day and continues to struggle for the protection of all children
Today is Universal Children’s Day, celebrating the anniversary of the proclamation and the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly on November 20, 1989. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding text on the rights that all children should enjoy, setting the fundamental values and principles for their protection and wellbeing.
Despite the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the challenges for the protection of children across the world remain. In many parts of the world children suffer from hunger and diseases that could be cured and prevented if the world community had been mobilized timely for the protection of vulnerable populations.
Many children across the globe are faced with various forms of violence either at home, in school or in the wider local environment. At the same time, boys and girls fall victims of sexual abuse, are deprived from direct access to medical care, live in poverty or are threatened by poverty, discrimination or social exclusion.
Millions of refugee and migrant children, including unaccompanied minors, flee their homes in search for safety and protection putting their lives at risk and running the dangers of smuggling, trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“The Smile of the Child”, committed to the vision of its 10-year-old founder, Andreas Yannopoulos, for the protection of all children, serves the values and principles of the UN Convention and stands by every child in need or at risk, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In the course of 23 years of action ‘The Smile of the Child’ has managed to support in a holistic and individualized manner more than 1.480.000 children and their families. Children, victims of any form of violence, missing children, children with serious health problems and children whose families live in poverty or threatened by poverty have found a solution.
On the international level, “The Smile of the Child” shares its experience and good practices with organizations and actors from across the globe in order to improve the living conditions of children and establish in cooperation with all the competent authorities a net of protection for all children that will target the real needs of children and their families.
The Universal Children’s Day is a day of struggle for all children. However the care and protection of children in practice requires a constant effort on a daily basis. We usually say that children are the future of a better society. Nevertheless, we should not forget that children are the present. They are the present that we need to ensure for a better tomorrow across the globe.
