Implementing the Child Protection Provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

Abstract

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (“CRC”), lauded as the most widely ratified international human rights treaty, asserted high aspirations as a comprehensive statement on the rights of children. Yet, for many signatories, the road from ratification to full implementation over the past 23 years has been slow and arduous. Translating the CRC’s lofty principles into concrete law, policy and attitudinal change has been a challenge. This article responds to that challenge by offering a framework for implementing the child protection provisions of the CRC that integrates CRC guiding principles, comparative analysis and local cultural norms. Applying the framework to the Trinidad and Tobago example, the article argues that the CRC requires States to prioritize family integrity and that Trinidad and Tobago should leverage its tradition of extended kinship care in developing its child protection system.