The Charter of the United Nations is the founding document of the United Nations. It was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945.

The United Nations can take action on a wide variety of issues due to its unique international character and the powers vested in its Charter, which is considered an international treaty. As such, the UN Charter is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it. The UN Charter codifies the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations.

Since the UN's founding in 1945, the mission and work of the Organization have been guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter, which has been amended three times in 1963, 1965, and 1973.

The International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, functions in accordance with the Statute of the International Court of Justice, which is annexed to the UN Charter, and forms an integral part of it.

• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty
• Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
• International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
• Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
  

Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace and greater freedom. We recognise that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. All countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan. We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets which we are announcing today demonstrate the scale and ambition of this new universal Agenda. They seek to build on the Millennium Development Goals and complete what these did not achieve. They seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.

The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next fifteen years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

Adopted in 1989, the CRC is a comprehensive human rights treaty that covers various aspects of children's rights, including protection from all forms of violence, abuse, and neglect.

Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child

• Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography (2000)
• Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (2000)
• Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure (2011)

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

Adopted in 1979, CEDAW addresses discrimination against women and girls, which often intersects with violence against children.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

Adopted in 2006, the CRPD includes provisions to protect children with disabilities from violence and abuse.

ILO Convention No. 138: Minimum Age Convention (1973)

This convention sets the minimum age for admission to employment or work at 15 years, with the possibility of setting a lower age of 14 years in developing countries under certain conditions. It aims to eliminate child labor and ensure that children are not exposed to harmful work environments.

ILO Convention No. 182: Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (1999)

This convention focuses on the elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including slavery, trafficking, forced labor, and the use of children in armed conflict, prostitution, pornography, and illicit activities. It also addresses hazardous work that is likely to harm the health, safety, or morals of children.

ILO Convention No. 190: Violence and Harassment Convention (2019)

While not exclusively focused on children, this convention aims to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work. It includes protections for young workers and children who are subject to such abuses, ensuring a safe and secure working environment.

ILO Recommendation No. 146: Minimum Age Recommendation (1973)

This recommendation provides additional guidance on implementing the Minimum Age Convention, including measures to ensure that young person’s receive proper education and vocational training.

ILO Recommendation No. 190: Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation (1999)

This recommendation complements Convention No. 182, providing detailed guidance on measures to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, including prevention, protection, and rehabilitation of affected children.

UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960)

This convention aims to eliminate discrimination in education, including discrimination based on gender, which can contribute to gender-based violence against children.

UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers (1966)

This recommendation provides guidelines on the rights and responsibilities of teachers, including measures to protect children from violence and abuse in educational settings.

World Health Organization (WHO)

Global Plan of Action to Strengthen the Role of the Health System within a National Multisectoral Response to Address Interpersonal Violence, in Particular against Women and Girls, and against Children (2016). This plan of action outlines strategies for health systems to respond to and prevent violence, including child abuse and neglect.

WHO Guidelines on Responding to Child Maltreatment (2019). These guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for healthcare providers on identifying and responding to child maltreatment, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

UNHCR Guidelines on International Protection: Child Asylum Claims (2009). These guidelines provide a framework for assessing the protection needs of child asylum seekers, including those fleeing violence, trafficking, or exploitation.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF's Agenda for Action for the Protection of Children in Crisis Situations (2007). This agenda provides a framework for protecting children in emergency and conflict situations, including measures to prevent recruitment into armed groups and provide psychosocial support.

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

IOM Guidelines on the Protection of Children in the Context of Migration (2019). These guidelines provide measures to protect children in migration contexts, including those who are unaccompanied or separated from their families.

Africa

• The African charter on human and peoples' rights
  • The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (also known as the Banjul Charter) is an international human rights instrument that is intended to promote and protect human rights and basic freedoms in the African continent.
  • It emerged under the aegis of the Organisation of African Unity (since replaced by the African Union) which, at its 1979 Assembly of Heads of State and Government, adopted a resolution calling for the creation of a committee of experts to draft a continent-wide human rights instrument, similar to those that already existed in Europe (European Convention on Human Rights) and the Americas (American Convention on Human Rights). This committee was duly set up, and it produced a draft that was unanimously approved at the OAU's 18th Assembly held in June 1981, in Nairobi, Kenya.[1] Pursuant to its Article 63 (whereby it was to "come into force three months after the reception by the Secretary General of the instruments of ratification or adherence of a simple majority" of the OAU's member states), the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights came into effect on 21 October 1986– in honour of which 21 October was declared "African Human Rights Day".

• The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol)
  • The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the Maputo Protocol, is an international human rights instrument established by the African Union that went into effect in 2005. It guarantees comprehensive rights to women including the right to take part in the political process, to social and political equality with men, improved autonomy in their reproductive health decisions, and an end to female genital mutilation. It was adopted by the African Union in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2003 in the form of a protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (adopted in 1981, enacted in 1986).

• African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC)
  • Adopted in 1990, the ACRWC is a regional treaty that outlines the rights of children in Africa, including protection from abuse and exploitation.

• African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention)
  • This 2009 convention includes provisions for protecting children from violence in situations of displacement.

• Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development (2008)
  • This protocol includes provisions on protecting children, especially girls, from gender-based violence and harmful practices such as child marriage.

Americas

• American Convention on Human Rights

• Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence Against Women (Convention of Belém do Pará)
  • While primarily focused on violence against women, this 1994 convention also includes provisions relevant to children.

• Inter-American Convention on the International Return of Children
  • Adopted in 1989, this convention addresses issues related to the abduction and return of children.

• Andean Charter for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (2002)
  • This charter, adopted by the Andean Community, includes provisions for the protection of children's rights, particularly against violence and exploitation.

Europe

• European Convention on the Exercise of Children's Rights
  • Adopted in 1996, this convention aims to promote the rights of children in family proceedings.

• Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention)
  • Adopted in 2007, this convention focuses on protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse.

• European Social Charter
  • This 1961 treaty (revised in 1996) includes provisions for the protection of children, including from violence and exploitation.

• European Convention on the Legal Status of Children Born out of Wedlock (1975)
  • This convention seeks to eliminate discrimination against children born out of wedlock, which can lead to social exclusion and associated violence.

• European Convention on the Compensation of Victims of Violent Crimes (1983)
  • This convention provides a framework for compensating victims of violent crimes, including children, ensuring they receive appropriate support and protection.

Asia-Pacific

• SAARC Convention on Regional Arrangements for the Promotion of Child Welfare in South Asia
  • Adopted in 2002, this convention aims to promote child welfare and protection in South Asia.

Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

• Arab Charter on Human Rights (2004)
  • While not exclusively focused on children, this charter includes provisions to protect children's rights and safeguard them from exploitation and violence.