1959　"Declaration of the Rights of the Child"

Amid growing worldwide recognition of the importance of human rights protection in the wake of World War II, “the Declaration of the Rights of the Child” was adopted on November 20, 1959, at the 14th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Declaration is a successor to the Geneva Declaration of 1924 and is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and consists of a preamble and a total of 10 articles. Since it is a declaration and not a treaty, it is not legally binding, but Japan passed a resolution in support of the Declaration at a plenary session of the House of Councillors in December 1959.

The preamble clearly states that “mankind has an obligation to give the best to the child,” in keeping with the Geneva Conventions. The Declaration also states that children are entitled to various social rights, including the right to survival, the right to the pursuit of happiness, the right to social security, the right to education, the right to be raised under parental responsibility, and protection from neglect, abuse, and exploitation. It also states that children should be provided with healthy development and that the “best interests of the child” must be given the highest consideration when enacting laws and regulations for this purpose. This concept of the “best interests of the child” will be carried forward in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.