Universal Children’s Day: Promoting the safety of young people in sport
In 1954, the United Nations established Universal Children’s Day. Taking place every year since then on 20 November, the day promotes international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide and improving children’s welfare.
20 November also marks the anniversary of two important dates in promoting the rights of children: the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. The latter is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty and, alongside children’s rights including the right to life, to health and protection from violence, it enshrines the right to play.
To mark the day, the International Safeguarding Children in Sport Working Group has launched a campaign to promote children’s safety in sport. Sport and play benefit children in multiple ways, but we also know that instances of abuse occur.
The working group, which sportanddev is a member of, was established in 2012 to make children safer and sports organisations around the world are members. The group launched a set of safeguards in 2014, which are designed to be implemented by organisations internationally to guarantee the safety of children. The 20 November campaign will raise awareness about the topic and promote the use of the safeguards.
How to get involved
The working group has published messages you can use on your social media accounts to promote the campaign and the safeguards. The English versions, along with images you can use, are in the campaign poster. Translations of the messages in 11 other languages are available on the right-hand side of this article under 'Files'. Follow #safeinsport on Facebook and Twitter to see what others are doing to mark the day.
If you would like to find out more about safeguarding children in sport, you can visit the following sections of our website:
Activity