The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was adopted in 1989. It contains 54 further articles, based on the UDHR, which are specifically written to protect children's lives. It covers the social, cultural, political, and civil rights that children all over the world are entitled to. It also explains how adults and governments are also expected to act to protect the freedoms and rights of children.

The articles in the UNCRC include rules such as: every child has the right to an identity; every child has the right to be registered at birth; every child has the right to life; governments must protect children from violence, abuse and neglect; governments must not allow children under the age of 15 to take part in war or conflict; and every child has the right to the best possible health and health care.