About the KidsRights Index

History

The adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 marked a crucial step in improving children’s rights across the globe. However, there is still a considerable gap between the good intentions of policymakers, and the actual effects policy has on the day to day lives of children. Considering the impact of armed conflicts, climate change, technological advancements, and several other factors on the rights of children globally, understanding and addressing these gaps has become more important than ever. 

KidsRights Foundation took the initiative to develop an index that takes a scientific approach to charting the status of the implementation of children’s rights worldwide. The Erasmus School of Economics and the International Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam were approached to help create the KidsRights Index. This special collaboration between academics and non-profit organizations that began in 2010 led to the KidsRights Index that was launched on 19 November 2013. 

There is also a considerable gap between the children’s rights guaranteed by the international legal framework and the domestic legal framework. The KidsRights Index highlights these gaps and provides crucial insights into the specific improvements needed for the respective countries to fully implement the Convention of the Rights of the Child. The KidsRights Index has been developed to stimulate public opinion and public debate concerning the implementation of children’s rights. It is a tool for governments, civil society and other stakeholders for taking action to improve children’s rights. 

Importance of the KidsRights Index

The KidsRights Index is currently the only tool equipped to identify existing gaps in the implementation of children’s rights. It makes existing, authoritative and comparable data on the state of children’s rights around the world more easily accessible to all the relevant stakeholders. The Index provides deeper insights into the Concluding Observations issued by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and makes them more concrete. 

Over the past 14 years, we have been consulted by highly regarded stakeholders, such as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the European Council. The KidsRights Index is also widely used by other important stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, media, child and human rights defenders, civil society organizations, businesses and financial institutions in advancing and mainstreaming children’s rights. 

We welcome and are continuously seeking (more) dialogue and possibly cooperation with governments, businesses, financial institutions and other stakeholders to mainstream children’s rights using the KidsRights Index. 

Erasmus School of Economics

Erasmus School of Economics is a leading Centre for scientific research and education in economics and econometrics. The activities of this internationally acclaimed School of Erasmus University Rotterdam contribute to understanding current and future economic developments in the world and to answering questions related to the roles of government and business policy. 

The International Institute of Social Studies

The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) is a graduate school of critical policy oriented social science. Established in 1952, ISS focuses on research, teaching and public service in the field of development studies and international cooperation. Its students, staff and knowledge partners are both from the Global South and the North. Interdisciplinarity and co-creation are among the key features of the work of the Institute. ISS is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam, based in The Hague.