The obligations of States Parties under the Convention on the rights of the child: a focus on rights in childhood policies in Spain

Abstract

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the universal reference instrument on every action with regard to childhood. As a State party of the Convention and its Facultative Protocols, Spain is obliged to adopt different policies in order to guarantee the rights proclaimed in these treaties for every child under its jurisdiction. Appropriate indications can be found in the doctrine of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and its Observations to Spanish reports. There are two main criteria for the implementation of these policies: the approach on the rights and the optimization of resources, on a wide sense. This is particularly important in periods of financial crisis, as at present, which make it possible to appreciate the investment on children’s right as a guarantee on the construction of a more just and prepared society.