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Center's summary of the publication
The International Child Development Centre is very pleased to
publish this study by Emilio Garcia Mendez in English in order to
present it to a wider international audience. This comprehensive -
and absorbing - analysis of the rights of children, independently
of the country or countries directly concerned, serves to underline
one of the Centre's foremost areas of concern.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child has now been ratified
by 191 nations. Notwithstanding, securing the principles and
necessary legal safeguards remains a difficult achievement. Laws
and jurisprudence must be firmly linked to the national reality to
avoid them being well-meant placebos. Are all children
comprehensively protected and defended? Do the means for
implementing these laws exist? Is monitoring adequate? These
are on-going questions of concern for both UNICEF and the
broader international children's rights community.
Studies such as this serve to heighten awareness and provide
the inspiration and practical insight which are the bedrock of a
sound legal framework. Many of the themes raised in this essay
also echo those examined in other ICDC series and studies;
violence against children, juvenile offenders, street children, are
all inter-related problems for which children have the right to
expect effective and full legal protection. Emilio Garc¡a M,ndez has
provided a living testimony from the field of the challenge
presented by some of the most pervasive children's rights issues
of our times.
Florence, Italy
September 1998
Owner: Emilio Garcia Mendez