A Child Rights Framework for Addressing Trafficking of Children

Abstract

The United States, Somalia, and South Sudan are the only countries in the world that have not ratified the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The symposium essay examines the value of U.S. ratification of the CRC to the prevention of child trafficking. The essay discusses procedural benefits of human rights treaty ratification, drawing on lessons from the U.S. ratification of the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography. The essay then examines substantive benefits of the CRC, highlighting the treaty’s capacity to address many of the root causes of child trafficking and related forms of exploitation. Finally, the essay outlines the importance of a child rights framework to address the severe violations of rights that occur when children are trafficked.

Keywords: children's rights; human trafficking; treaty; procedure; prevention; Convention on the Rights of the Child

JEL Classification: I10, I20, I31, J71, K33, O19, O20