November 20th Marks World Children’s Day

November 20th is celebrated as World Children’s Day every year and is dedicated to the little ones who bring joy and beauty to our lives.

The day provides an inspirational opportunity for each of us to advocate, promote, and celebrate children's rights, leading to dialogues and actions that will create a better world for children.

As the name suggests, World Children's Day is an occasion to celebrate these little ones who bring happiness to our lives every day with their innocence and enthusiasm for life. However, the reality for children is not always perfect, and in many parts of the world, their rights are under threat.

President Dereje Wordofa of SOS Children’s Villages International said: “As we mark World Children's Day, the ongoing war in Gaza and other prolonged conflicts globally highlight a sad reality - there's little to celebrate in light of widespread child suffering. This serves as a sobering reminder to the international community that we are falling short in fulfilling our pledge to uphold the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”

November 20th is a significant date as it marks the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly in 1959. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Since 1990, World Children's Day has been celebrated as the anniversary of the adoption of both the Declaration and the Convention on Children's Rights.