31 Years Ago the Rights of the Child Were Born
On November 20, 1989, the UN adopted the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, later ratified by 196 countries, including Italy in 1991. "It is a series of legal obligations linked to the concept of the pre-eminence of a child's best interests," explains Roger O'Keefe, Professor of International Law at Bocconi. "The application of these rules is not easy, because there is an international level but the fulfilment of most of the obligations is the responsibility of national Courts and societies", continues O'Keefe, "even if the most important part of this Convention is the work of social awareness on these issues. It is an important step forward, but there is still much to do".