The International Day for Street Children (IDSC) is commemorated every year on April 12th to raise awareness about the issues that millions of children endure on the streets around the world.
IDSC is organized by the Consortium for Street Children (CSC). Every year, the CSC selects a subject for IDSC to raise awareness about the problems of street children around the world.
Theme:
- The theme for International Day for Street Children 2024 is “Belonging.”
- The 2024 theme focuses on giving street-connected youngsters a sense of belonging in their communities, countries, and cultures.
- It highlights governments’ and communities’ obligation to protect these children’s rights via policy and practice.
Importance:
- IDSC helps preserve the rights and well-being of street-connected children and their champions by amplifying their voices.
- IDSC honours the bravery and fortitude of millions of street-connected children worldwide.
Background:
- CSC established the first International Day for Street Children on April 12, 2011.
- Since 2012, the Day has been held worldwide to recognize the humanity, dignity, and defiance displayed by street children in the face of adversity.
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC):
- The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted in 1989 as a historic commitment to the rights of children worldwide.
- The Convention, which entered into force on September 2, 1990, classifies everyone under the age of 18 as a child.
- It became the most widely approved human rights convention in history, transforming the lives of children all across the world.
- It defines children, their rights, and the roles of governments.
Campaign for Equality:
- Since 2018, CSC’s “The 4 Steps to Equality” campaign has helped governments ensure that street children have access to all their rights under the CRC.
- The four steps to achieving equality are to commit to equality, protect every child, provide access to services, and develop specialized solutions.