CHILDRENS RIGHTS PROGRAM
Sample Letters

Senator Jesse Helms

Chair, Senate Foreign Relations Committee

403 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Helms,

I am writing to urge the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to recommend ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, your leadership is critical to ratifying the Convention in the United States.  The United States demonstrated its support for the Convention by signing it in 1995.  However, until the U.S. Senate ratifies the Convention, the show of support in our country rings hollow.

U.S. ratification of the Convention would help establish a useful framework and set clear guidelines by which legislators, officials at all levels of government, and private organizations and individuals can form policies and programs to improve the situation of our children.

U.S. ratification would also improve the plight of children overseas by giving our country the opportunity to participate in the international body set up to monitor the Convention.

Recognizing the special vulnerability and needs of children, the Convention focuses on the best interests of the child.  Most importantly, the Convention clearly emphasizes the primacy and authority of parents in raising their children (Article 5).

Given that no country is immune to child abuse, child labor, sexual exploitation, and inadequate health care and education for the disadvantaged, dont American children deserve this treaty?

As the most influential nation on earth, Im sure you would agree that the United States must maintain a leadership position in the protection of human rights for children both nationally and internationally.  In the recent resolution regarding Sierra Leone (S. Res. 315), you took an admirable stand against the Revolutionary United Front by bringing to light their atrocious human rights violations against children.  I commend you for your work, and encourage you now to support childrens human rights here at home.

The Conventions provisions, which are consistent with the principles contained in the Bill of Rights, will only be implemented in the United States at a time determined by our government.  The time to move forward with U.S. ratification is now.  Please extend your childrens human rights work to the United States and ensure that the Convention is reviewed by the Senate.

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,

Date

Senator Paul Wellstone

136 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Wellstone:

I am writing to you regarding the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Although the issue has yet to come before the United States Senate, I strongly encourage you to support its U.S. ratification.

The Convention of the Rights of the Child is an internationally recognized agreement which establishes a comprehensive set of goals for individual nations to achieve on behalf of children. The Convention is the most widely adopted human rights treaty in history with 191 States Parties.  Only the United States and Somalia have failed to ratify this celebrated agreement despite U.S. participation in its drafting.

Recognizing the special vulnerability and needs of children, the Convention focuses on the best interests of the child.  Its provisions, which repeatedly emphasize the primacy and authority of parents, are contingent on the childs age and evolving capacities. In general, the Convention calls for freedom from violence, abuse, hazardous employment, exploitation, abduction, or sale; equal treatment regradless of gender, race, or cultural background; adequate nutrition; free compulsory and primary education; adequate health care; the right to express opinions and freedom of thought in matters affecting themselves and other children; safe exposure and access to leisure, play, culture, and art.

The Conventions provisions, which are consistent with the principles contained in the Bill of Rights, will only be implemented in the U.S. at a time determined by our government.  Please do your part to ensure that these provisions become ratified.

U.S. ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child would help establish a useful framework and set clear guidelines by which legislators, officials at all levels of government, and private organizations and individuals can form policies and programs to improve the situation of our children. Consequently, ratification of the Convention would promote a more supportive social and legislative environment for children and would assist in making children more of a national priority. U.S. ratification would improve the plight of children overseas by giving the United States the opportunity to participate in the international body set up to monitor the Convention, therefore enabling our voice, the strongest voice in the world, to be heard on this important issue.

As the most influential nation on earth, Im sure you would agree that the United States must maintain a leadership position in the protection of human rights and children.  Moreover, given that our own nation is not immune to child abuse, child labor, sexual exploitation, and inadequate helath care and education for the disadvantaged, dont our children deserve this treaty?

Thank you for your consideration of my request.  Please write back to me to let me know that you will support the Convention on the Rights of the Child when it comes before the Senate.

Sincerely,

Senator Mark Dayton

SR-346, Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Dayton:

I am writing to you regarding the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Although the issue has yet to come before the United States Senate, I strongly encourage you to support ratification of the Convention in the United States.

The Convention of the Rights of the Child is an internationally recognized agreement which establishes a comprehensive set of goals for individual nations to achieve on behalf of children. The Convention is the most widely adopted human rights treaty in history with 191 States Parties.  Only the United States and Somalia have failed to ratify this celebrated agreement despite U.S. participation in its drafting more than 20 years ago.

Recognizing the special vulnerability and needs of children, the Convention focuses on the best interests of the child.  Its provisions, which repeatedly emphasize the primacy and authority of parents, are contingent on the childs age and evolving capacities. In general, the Convention calls for freedom from violence, abuse, hazardous employment, exploitation, abduction, or sale; equal treatment regradless of gender, race, or cultural background; adequate nutrition; free compulsory and primary education; adequate health care; the right to express opinions and freedom of thought in matters affecting themselves and other children; safe exposure and access to leisure, play, culture, and art.

U.S. ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child would help establish a useful framework and set clear guidelines by which legislators, officials at all levels of government, and private organizations and individuals can form policies and programs to improve the situation of our children. Consequently, ratification of the Convention would promote a more supportive social and legislative environment for children and would assist in making children more of a national priority. U.S. ratification would improve the plight of children overseas by giving the United States the opportunity to participate in the international body set up to monitor the Convention, therefore enabling our voice, the strongest voice in the world, to be heard on this important issue.

As the most influential nation on earth, Im sure you would agree that the United States must maintain a leadership position in the protection of human rights and children.  Moreover, given that our own nation is not immune to child abuse, child labor, sexual exploitation, and inadequate health care and education for the disadvantaged, dont our children deserve this treaty?

The Conventions provisions, which are consistent with the principles contained in the Bill of Rights, will only be implemented in the U.S. at a time determined by our government.  The time to move forward with U.S. ratification is now. Please do your part to ensure that this happens.

Thank you for your consideration of my request.  Please write back to me to let me know that you will support the Convention on the Rights of the Child when it comes before the Senate.

Sincerely,

For more information, contact

Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights,
310 Fourth Avenue South Suite1000
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1012.
Tel: 612-341-3302, Fax: 612-341-2971

E-mail: [email protected]