Non-discrimination

The right to non-discrimination is an overarching principle of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

Children's right to non-discrimination is one of the four over-arching principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This means that all children should enjoy all rights set out in the CRC and that ensuring children are not discriminated against is a requirement for any of children's other rights to be fully realised.

Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child provides that:

1. States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.

2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members.

Some have distinguished between non-discrimination and equality by saying that non-discrimination refers to the absence of inequality whereas equality describes the positive dimension of equality (Samantha Besson, McKean 1983).

More information

• Translating the Right to Non-Discrimination into Reality  (Save the Children Sweden, summary report, 2008)
• Demystifying Non-Discrimination for effective child rights programming in South and Central Asia (Save the Children Sweden, Regional Office for South and Central Asia, 2007)

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