Children's rights explained to children

What are children's rights?

Children's rights are human rights defined for children.

Children's rights apply to all children and young people under the age of 18. They are aimed at the development of childrens’ abilities and take into account their needs. Children have the right to live with their parents, to eat healthy, to have access to health care. They even have the right to play, have hobbies, discover art and culture, etc.

All children's rights are interrelated, equally important and cannot be taken away from them.

These rights are defined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a treaty signed by most countries in the world. These countries are committed to protect children through measures and laws, enabling them to live and grow up in a safe and healthy environment.

What are the main principles of the Convention?

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is based on four main principles :

the right to non-discrimination: you have the right to be respected, regardless of the colour of your skin, your origin, the language you speak or your religion and no one has the right to discriminate against you on the basis of your gender, status or disability;
the best interests of the child: for all decisions that concern you, your opinion must be taken into account;
the right to life: all countries must take care of your survival and good development;
the right to freedom expression: you have the right to have an opinion and to express it freely, to be listened to and respected.

Raising awareness of children's rights

To raise awareness for children's rights, the Ministry for Education, Children and Youth regularly organises events that encourage children and adolescents to actively participate in the defence of their rights. In addition, the ministry promotes awareness of these rights through age-appropriate publications and websites.

Website Staarkrechter.lu

The website Staarkrechter.lu is designed for children and young people aged 6 to 18. Conceived as an informative, educational, and interactive space, it offers tailored support to help users better understand their rights, discover useful resources, and actively engage in defending these rights in Luxembourg.

From the homepage, the site offers two distinct paths: one for children and one for young adults. Depending on their age group, users access illustrated, accessible content designed to make understanding their rights easier, while encouraging them to become active, aware, and responsible citizens.

The website can be used as a teaching tool in both primary and secondary education, as well as in non-formal educational settings. It is also a valuable resource at home, allowing parents, relatives, or friends to address children's rights in an educational manner.

Available in French, German, Luxembourgish, and English, Staarkrechter.lu is a unique platform for raising awareness among children and young people about their rights, teaching them to assert those rights, and fully live them out in everyday life.

More information:

Posters featuring the 10 priority rights

To mark the launch of the Staarkrechter.lu website, two posters illustrating the 10 priority rights of children and young people in Luxembourg were distributed in primary and secondary schools, and in education and care facilities.

Available in four languages (French, Luxembourgish, English, and German) and tailored to each age group, the posters aim to raise awareness and inform about fundamental rights. A QR code provides access to the Staarkrechter.lu website for further information.

The posters can be ordered by email at: info.droitsdelenfant@men.lu

Downloads:

Poster: “Staark Rechter fir staark Kanner” (PDF)
Poster: “Staark Rechter fir staark Jonker” (PDF)

Children's Rights Festival

The purpose of the Children's Rights Festival or Kannerrechtsfest, organised every year at the Parc merveilleux in Bettembourg, is to familiarise children, families and anyone interested in children's rights, with a variety and playful activities (children's rights trail, film screenings, games, information stands, etc.).

More information:

International Children's Day

On the International Children's Day, which takes place every year during the month of November, the ministry's actors and partners organise numerous activities and events throughout the country.

More information:

www.droitsdelenfant.lu

Children's Conference CHICO

Every year the children's conference brings together children from the age of 8 and educators from care facilities to talk about participation, democracy and children's rights.

Through participatory workshops, complex issues are made accessible to children, who can freely express their point of view and make themselves better understood.

More information:

www.chico.lu

Competition "Deng Zukunft. Deng Stëmm."

The creative competition Deng Zukunft. Deng Stëmm, organized by UNICEF Luxembourg and the Service des droits de l’enfant of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, gives children the opportunity to share their wishes, visions, and expectations on a specific theme related to children's rights and their everyday lives.

Through artistic and creative means of expression such as drawing, painting, and photography, participants can express themselves on topics such as:

Living better together with our differences (2025/2026 edition);
Improving my community: I have my say! (2024/2025 edition);
Climate change and the future of our planet (2023/2024 edition);
Your school of tomorrow (2022/2023 edition);
What should your world look like after the COVID crisis? (2021/2022 edition).

The goal is to promote children's participation by giving them the chance to share concrete proposals for improving their daily lives.

The competition is held annually, and the best ideas are published each year in a catalogue entitled Iddiëkatalog.

More information:

Protection of children from violence on the internet

As part of the fight against sexual abuse and violence, the Ministry raises awareness among the general public and professionals (round table, training day, reference platform) on the dangers linked to the use of the Internet and in particular the phenomenon of grooming.

Grooming is when an adult contacts a child, often online and under a false identity, for the purpose of sexually abusing this child or extorting money. Contact can be established over an extended period of time, so as to create a relationship of trust and facilitate the actual exploitation. The latter can take different forms: "real life" encounters for the purpose of sexual abuse; solicitation to send sexually explicit photos; blackmail using these photos to obtain money or more sexual abuse material.

More information:

How to explain their rights to children and young people?

The following websites are specially designed for children and explain their rights in appropriate language. Some sites offer educational games and activities to discover the law through play and practice. Other links put children’s rights in relation with current and recent events. Links to educational materials for children, families or educational staff are offered in the last position.

Children's rights explained to children – general information

Videos in Luxembourgish:

Video: Children's rights explained in two minutes
- Video clip on children's rights, produced by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth in collaboration with the directorate and students of Lënster Lycée International School (LLIS) on the occasion of the International Children's Day, celebrated each year on November 20
Video: Children's rights explained to the youngest
- Video clip on children's rights, produced by Unicef Luxembourg in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth

Information in German: