CRC
UNITED
NATIONS
Convention on the
Rights of the Child
Distr.
GENERAL
CRC/C/GC/7/Rev.1
20 September 2006
Original: ENGLISH
COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Fortieth Session
Geneva, 12-30 September 2005
GENERAL COMMENT No. 7 (2005)
Implementing child rights in early childhood
I. INTRODUCTION
1.
This general comment arises out of the Committee’s experiences of reviewing States
parties’ reports. In many cases, very little information has been offered about early childhood,
with comments limited mainly to child mortality, birth registration and health care. The
Committee felt the need for a discussion on the broader implications of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child for young children. Accordingly, in 2004, the Committee devoted its day of
general discussion to the theme “Implementing child rights in early childhood”. This resulted in
a set of recommendations (see CRC/C/143, sect. VII) as well as the decision to prepare a general
comment on this important topic. Through this general comment, the Committee wishes to
encourage recognition that young children are holders of all rights enshrined in the Convention
and that early childhood is a critical period for the realization of these rights. The Committee’s
working definition of “early childhood” is all young children: at birth and throughout infancy;
during the preschool years; as well as during the transition to school (see paragraph 4 below).
II. OBJECTIVES OF THE GENERAL COMMENT
2.
The objectives of the general comment are:
(a)
To strengthen understanding of the human rights of all young children and to
draw States parties’ attention to their obligations towards young children;
(b)
To comment on the specific features of early childhood that impact on the
realization of rights;
GE.06-44380