I am not a US citizen, but this is not a US only problem.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is meant to ensure a good environment for children to grow up.
As Amnesty USA explains, the treaty is for ensuring a childs
- Freedom from violence, abuse, hazardous employment, exploitation, abduction or sale
- Adequate nutrition
- Free compulsory primary education
- Adequate health care
- Equal treatment regardless of gender, race, or cultural background
- The right to express opinions and freedom of though in matters affecting them
- Safe exposure/access to leisure, play, culture, and art.
Not a bad set of goals, and there is at this moment only two soon to be one UN country left that have not ratified this treaty.
Obama himself has said that the failure to ratify the treaty is an embarrassment and that he promises to review it.
This is not good enough in my opinion.
There is no timeline.
With midterm elections looming, this should really be ratified now!
I'm not sure if there is any way I can help to put this on the agenda, but if there are anyone inside the US that feels the same way as I do, I hope you can find a way to push for it.