Building humane communities respectful of children: The significance of the convention on the rights of the child

摘要

The greatest promise of international human rights law is in stimulating thoughtful self-examination by those who strive to do what is right. Perhaps more than any other instrument, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC; 1989) offers the opportunity to use a global moral consensus to transform life at the neighborhood level in order to promote "the full and harmonious development of... [the child's] personality" (CRC, 1989, preamble). The CRC also presents a normative framework to guide psychologists' advocacy on behalf of children.