In the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, individuals under the age of eighteen are referred to as children, unless the law governing that person specifies a younger age for their maturity. Children are considered the future assets of society and also the most vulnerable group in any community. They have needs and rights that must be properly addressed and cannot be easily overlooked. Considering the significant role of the family in a child’s personal development, it is the responsibility of both the family and the community to be aware of these rights and to ensure they are respected. World Children’s Day is an opportunity to enter the world of children; to do so, we must forget our own knowledge and accompany our children in their ignorance. Children have the right to life and to grow. They have the right to freely express their opinions and these opinions must be taken into account in all matters that concern them. Additionally, no child should be discriminated against.

The purpose of World Children’s Day is to stand against violence towards children and strive for their rights and well-being. We aim to raise awareness in society and remind them that this day is not just for celebration, but also to shed light on the experiences of those who have faced violence, colonization, and discrimination around the world. In some countries, children are used as laborers, and in Iran, we also have child labor. In other countries, children are involved in armed conflicts on the streets.

The International Children’s Day has been designated by the United Nations since 1954 on November 20th. This day is celebrated in around 50 countries, including 30 states in the United States. Different countries have chosen a specific day as Children’s Day based on their cultural roots and celebrate it in various ways to honor children. In China, Vietnam, Russia, and many former Eastern Bloc countries, International Children’s Day is celebrated on June 1st as a day to support children. In some countries, such as New Zealand on the first Monday of March, Palestine on April 5th, Taiwan and Hong Kong on April 4th, Turkey on April 23rd, Bangladesh on March 17th, South Korea and Japan on May 5th, Spain and England on the second Monday of May, and in India on Independence Day, which is November 14th. In some of these countries, including Turkey, this day is officially declared as a national holiday. In

The idea of celebrating World Children’s Day goes back to the “World Conference for the Well-being of Children” held in Geneva in August 1925. At this conference, representatives from 54 countries gathered to adopt a charter in defense of children’s rights. This global meeting was named the World Conference for the Well-being of Children. According to the treaty related to this conference, the spiritual needs of children, the elimination of poverty for children, the protection of child labor, and the well-being and comfort of children have been the focus.

However, the history of World Children’s Day officially dates back to the years after World War II: with the start of World War II, millions of children around the world were trapped in endless suffering and restrictions. Thousands of children lost their lives, hundreds of thousands of children were buried in bombings of cities and non-military centers, and hundreds of thousands of children were left disabled, orphaned, and homeless due to the destructive fire of war. In 1952, the American organization for the welfare of children called on the United Nations to hold a day as World Children’s Day. According to the UN resolution, different countries choose a day to be named after children and celebrate it every year with the aim of raising awareness about children’s issues. On November 20, 1959, the United Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and in 1989, the United Nations passed the Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20.

Child labor is one of the problems we face in Iran; due to urbanization, inflation, poverty and economic problems, unemployment, the number of child laborers is increasing day by day. As a result, many of these children become the breadwinners of their families. Other reasons for this phenomenon include addicted parents and those who have been physically abused by their parents and are forced to work as street vendors. The issue of child labor and street children is a problem that plagues many large cities in the contemporary world and is now known as an urban tragedy. This problem is mainly prevalent in metropolises and relatively large cities in developing societies. These children spend long hours, or sometimes the entire night, temporarily or permanently outside social institutions such as family and school, either for work or to escape their families, on the streets; the consequences of working on the streets can range from violence and crime to physical and sexual abuse. The wages of child laborers are often so low and insignificant that they

It is evident that the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to its significant impact on other age groups, has also had numerous negative effects on the lives of children. The UNICEF website has addressed this issue and emphasized that this pandemic has once again shown how inequality affects the rights of every child. UNICEF also believes that this pandemic has raised concerns about the mental health of a generation of children that must be taken seriously.

Notes:

1- Hosseini, Seyyed Hassan, The Situation of Child Labor and Street Children in Iran, Social Welfare Quarterly, Issue 19, Winter 1384 (2005).

2- November 20th, World Children’s Day – Who is a child?, IMNA News Agency, November 30th, 2020.

3- What do we know about Children’s Day?, Evening Iran, 16 October 2019.

4- Challenges facing working children, morning of growth, October 19, 2020.

5- Working Children Beyond Street Children, IRNA, 10 Dey Month 1398.