UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 

Children’s rights are based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989. Finland ratified the Convention in a law in 1991 (SopS 59 and 60/1991).

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international human rights convention. It obliges the signatory states to respect and ensure the rights of the child guaranteed by the Convention. In addition, it obliges them to ensure that the national legislation corresponds to the rights confirmed by the Convention. Everyone below the age of 18 years is a child. 

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is monitored by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. 

The Ombudsman for Children in Finland is tasked with cooperating with various authorities, organisations in its field as well as other parties in order to promote the realisation of the best interest of children. In this work, the Ombudsman for Children promotes the realisation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

• The Convention on the Rights of the Child in English
• The text of the Convention is available in the FINLEX database in Finnish.

• Information on children's rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child is also available from the brochures on the rights of children.