Worldwide, an estimated 230 million children lack birth registration, 135 million of whom are living in the Asia Pacific region. If these unidentified, unregistered children, all under age five, formed their own country, their population would fall between that of the size of Japan and Russia.  The country might even have a flag, or symbols of statehood, but there would be no legal rights, few basic services and little security.

When children were asked what they wanted World Vision to do for them to improve their well-being, one of them said: ‘“Can you please tell our parents to put us back in their hearts?”

I don’t think that normal parents would willingly neglect their children. But how easy it is for families and communities to have children feel being left out, estranged or excluded.

In our communities, the stresses of poverty...

It was gratifying to follow the Chilean media’s coverage of an important announcement made recently by the President of Republic, Michelle Bachelet. What was the announcement? She had sent to the National Parliament for ratification the Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This action...

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most rapidly ratified human rights convention in history. More countries have ratified the Convention than any other human rights treaty in history – 192 countries had become state parties to the Convention as of November 2005. There was almost universal endorsement for a convention that protected the rights of the most vulnerable citizens in any country – its children. Why, therefore, has it been so hard for rights...