De

Rechten
van het
KIND

De rechten van het Kind / Stichting Projecten Zuid-Afrika (SPZA) -1-

abc

Inleiding
Voor de Stichting Projecten Zuid-Afrika - South Africa Foundation en haar partners zijn kinderen de belangrijkste
doelgroep. In ons werk eerbiedigen we de rechten van het kind.
'Hoewel de Verenigde Naties de universele Declaratie van de Rechten van het Kind in 1959 proclameerden, weten maar weinig kinderen
en volwassenen wat deze rechten inhouden.' Desmond Tutu
Iedereen zou moeten weten wat de rechten van het kind inhouden.
Met opmerkingen en vragen over de rechten van het kind kunt u terecht bij de internatio-nale organisatie voor de
rechten van het kind: Defence for Children International www.defenceforchildren.org of bij de Nederlandse afdeling
www.defenceforchildren.nl. In Belgi kunt u terecht bij de Kinderrechtencoalitie Vlaanderen en Coordination des
ONG pour les droits de l'enfant www.kinderrechtencoalitie.be
KidsRights4All is een lespakket voor scholen over kinderrechten: info@powerofarthouse.nl. Het lespakket werd in
2015 genomineerd voor de ASN Wereldprijs. Dezelfde organisatie ontwierp ook een hinkelbaan over kinderrechten.
De officile tekst van de Verklaring van de Rechten van het Kind uit 1959 staat hieronder. In de tabel op pagina 2
vindt u per artikel een korte samenvatting in het Engels, het Xhosa en het Nederlands.

Declaration to the Rights of the Child (1959) : Preamble

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have, in the Charter, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights and
in the dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of
life in larger freedom,
Whereas the United Nations has, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed that everyone is entitled to
all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,
Whereas the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including
appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth,

Whereas the need for such special safeguards has been stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of
1924, and recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the statutes of specialized agencies and
international organizations concerned with the welfare of children,
Whereas mankind owes to the child the best it has to give,
Now therefore, The General Assembly
Proclaims this Declaration of the Rights of the Child to the end that he may have a happy childhood and enjoy for his
own good and for the good of society the rights and freedoms herein set forth, and calls upon parents, upon men and
women as individuals, and upon voluntary organizations, local authorities and national Governments to recognize these
rights and strive for their observance by legislative and other measures progressively taken in accordance with the
following principles:

Foreword to The rights of a child. 1st ed. Cape Town: Kwela Books, Rotterdam: Lemniscaat, 2004. ISBN 0-7957-0164-4. Book in
full colour with beautiful drawings and a summary of children's rights in the 11 official languages of South Africa: Afrikaans, English,
IsiNdebele, IsiXhosa, IsiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. Unfortunately out of print.
The United Nations and Human Rights, 1945-1995, Department of Public Information, United Nations, New York 1995 . ISBN
92-1-100560-4. This document is a non-binding resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. It should not be confused with
the International Convention on the Rights of the Child which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on the thirtieth anniversary
of this document, 20 November 1989. That document is a binding treaty to which 176 nations have become "states parties".

De rechten van het Kind / Stichting Projecten Zuid-Afrika (SPZA) 2

Declaration (1959)

Summary

Principle 1
The child shall enjoy all the rights set forth in this Declaration. Every
child, without any exception whatsoever, shall be entitled to these
rights, without distinction or discrimination on account of race,
colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or
social origin, property, birth or other status, whether of himself or
of his family.

To enjoy the very best

the world has
to give.
isiXhosa:
Ukuxhamla oko ihlabathi
linokukunika.
Te genieten van het beste wat
de wereld te bieden heeft.

Principle 2
The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given
opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him
to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a
healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and
dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests
of the child shall be the paramount consideration.

To grow up in freedom
and with dignity.
isiXhosa:
Ukukhula bekhululekile
benesidima.
Opgroeien in vrijheid en met
waardigheid.

To have a name and a

Principle 3
The child shall be entitled from his birth to a name and a nationality. country of their own.
isiXhosa:
Ukuba negama nelizwe
elilelabo.
Een naam hebben en een
nationaliteit.
Principle 4
The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He shall be
entitled to grow and develop in health; to this end, special care and
protection shall be provided both to him and to his mother,
including adequate prenatal and post-natal care. The child shall have
the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical
services.

To be fed when hungry

and nursed when sick.
isiXhosa:
Ukondliwa xa belambile
nokongiwa xa begula.
Bij honger te eten krijgen en
bij ziekte verzorging.

To get special care

Principle 5
The child who is physically, mentally or socially handicapped shall be if they are handicapped
given the special treatment, education and care required by his
in any way.
particular condition.
isiXhosa:
Ukuhoywa ngokukodwa
xa bekhubazeke
nanagyiphi na indlela.
Speciale zorg krijgen ingeval
van een handicap.

De rechten van het kind / Stichting Projecten Zuid-Afrika (SPZA) -3-

Declaration (1959)

Summary

Principle 6
The child, for the full and harmonious development of his
personality, needs love and understanding.
He shall, wherever possible, grow up in the care and under the
responsibility of his parents, and, in any case, in an atmosphere of
affection and of moral and material security; a child of tender
years shall not, save in exceptional circumstances, be separated
from his mother. Society and the public authorities shall have the
duty to extend particular care to children without a family and to
those without adequate means of support.
Payment of State and other assistance towards the maintenance
of children of large families is desirable.
Principle 7
The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and
compulsory, at least in the elementary stages.
He shall be given an education which will promote his general
culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to
develop his abilities, his individual judgement, and his sense of
moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of
society. The best interests of the child shall be the guiding
principle of those responsible for his education and guidance; that
responsibility lies in the first place with his parents.
The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation,
which should be directed to the same purposes as education;
society and the public authorities shall endeavour to promote the
enjoyment of this right.
Principle 8
The child shall in all circumstances be among the first to receive
protection and relief.

To have a family
that loves and cares for them.
isiXhosa:
Ukuba nosapho olubathandayo
nolubakhathaleleyo.
Liefde en verzorging krijgen in een
gezin.

To go to school and not have

to work to earn money.
isiXhosa:
Ukuhamba isikolo
bangaphangeli ukwenzela
uwamkela imali.

Naar school gaan en niet zijn eigen

inkomen moeten verdienen.

To be helped in
times of trouble
and danger.
isiXhosa:
Ukuncedwa ngamaxesha
enxaki nengozi.

Principle 9
The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty
and exploitation. He shall not be the subject of traffic, in any
form.
The child shall not be admitted to employment before an
appropriate minimum age; he shall in no case be caused or
permitted to engage in any occupation or employment which
would prejudice his health or education, or interfere with his
physical, mental or moral development.

Geholpen worden bij problemen en

bij gevaar.
To be protected from neglect,
cruelty and abuse.
isiXhosa:
Ukukhuselwa ekungakhathale
lweni, kwinkohlakalo
nasekuxhatsazweni.

Beschermd worden tegen

verwaarlozing, wreedheid en
misbruik.
Principle 10
To be loved, and in return
The child shall be protected from practices which may foster
spread peace and
racial, religious and any other form of discrimination. He shall be understanding.
brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship
among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, and in full
isiXhosa:
consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the Ukuthandwa ukuze basasaze
service of his fellow men.
uxolo nokwazelelela.

Liefde ontvangen en op zijn beurt

vrede en begrip uitdragen.
De rechten van het kind / Stichting Projecten Zuid-Afrika (SPZA) -4-

abc