Children’s rights at crossroads: how do children’s rights hold up in the twenty-first century?

Building on the lessons learned over the past 35 years, this article reflects on how to uphold the rights and freedoms of all children in a time when the human rights narrative is constantly challenged, and the respect for the rights and freedoms of every human being, including children, is no longer self-evident. The paper identifies the persisting and increasing ‘justice gap’ experienced by children, which reflects a lack of accountability towards children as a major obstacle to the realisation of children’s rights. With the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child having celebrated its 35th Anniversary in 2024, children’s rights find themselves at a critical point. How do children’s rights hold up in the twenty-first Century? It is argued in this article that the Optional Protocol to the CRC on a communications procedure and the upcoming General Comment of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on children’s access to justice and effective remedies will contribute to addressing the ‘justice gap’ experienced by children.