UNICEF’s Convention on the Rights of the Child needs to be ratified by the U.S. Senate. This treaty is the legally binding international instrument to guarantee the basic human rights of children – right to survival; to develop the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. This document was reviewed during the Reagan administration and signed by President Clinton, but never ratified by the U.S. Senate. One hundred ninety-three members of the United Nations have ratified this treaty. Only Somalia, South Sudan and the United States have not! What an embarrassment for our country – the country of the document’s origin!
United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY)



