Knowledge of Child Rights in Ghana: Implementation of Article 42 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Abstract

Laws governing child rights are part of international human rights law thus children are recognized as social actors in the international system. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is one of such international instruments which guarantees the rights of children irrespective of their country of origin. Ghana led the world by becoming the first country to ratify this convention and as such is required under international law to uphold the provisions of the convention. To ensure the effective realization of the rights set out in the convention, states are obligated to put in place measures that ensure the UNCRC is known to all children and adults under Article 42 of the Convention. This plays a major role in protecting children’s human rights. It is exactly thirty (30) years after the CRC was adopted by the United Nations and the study sought to ascertain the knowledge of child rights and implementation of Article 42 of the Convention in Ghana. The study employed both primary and secondary data using the qualitative research design. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Using the qualitative content analysis method, findings revealed that both children and teachers had inadequate knowledge of child rights and the UNCRC. Further findings identified efforts by the state and other stakeholders in the implementation of article 42 on the convention through policies, programmes and cooperation with other organizations among other efforts. Some challenges impeding the effective dissemination of the convention to children and adults include lack of political will coupled with improper allocation of resources. Based on the findings, the study recommends among other things that the state should consider embedding the UNCRC into the educational curricula of children and explore other practical avenues of child rights education like model UN.