LEGAL INSTRUMENTS
As defined in various international legal instruments, children have the right to be protected
from being hurt and mistreated, physically or mentally. International law directs States to ensure that children are properly
cared for and to protect them from violence, abuse and neglect. Should they be victims of violence, States shall take all
appropriate measures to promote physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration.
The UNODC Global Programme to End Violence Against Children promotes, promulgates and protects
a human rights and child rights-based approach to the phenomenon of violence against children. The international legal framework
on child rights serves as a benchmark for action to ensure the continued determination of the international community to protect
and uphold the fundamental child rights which are enshrined in the Convention
on the Rights of the Child and other key international standards and norms pertaining to the rights of the child.
