This week's Article of the Week is:
Article 12: I have the right to be listened to and taken seriously.
One of the things the UNCRC does is to make it clear that human rights apply to children and young people as much they do to adults.
Children and young people don’t have as much power as adults. They can’t vote, and they don’t have as much money. But Article 12 says they still have the human right to have opinions and for these opinions to be heard and taken seriously.
It says that the opinions of children and young people should be considered when people make decisions about things that involve them. Their opinions shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand on the grounds of age. They should be taken seriously, with their evolving capacities taken into account.
Article 12 also says children and young people should be given the information they need to make good decisions.