ЕВОЛЮЦІЯ МІЖНАРОДНОГО НОРМАТИВНОГО МЕХАНІЗМУ ЗАХИСТУ ПРАВ ДИТИНИ

The evolution of the international normative mechanism of protection of the rights of the child is investigated in the article. It is noted that the problem of protection of the rights of the child has international character and demands consolidation of efforts of all states. The international mechanism of child rights protection is the standard, on which each state bases the national policy in the field of child rights. It is determined that the international normative mechanism for the protection of the rights of the child is a totality of international legal norms, enshrined in a system of international documents in the sphere of the protection of children’s rights. A retrospective analysis of the formation and development of the international normative mechanism for the protection of the rights of the child was carried out, and several stages in its evolution were singled out. It is established that during the first stage (in the first quarter of the twentieth century) attention was paid to certain aspects of the legal status of the child. International instruments were adopted that regulated the custody of the child, established a minimum age for the employment of minors, and provided protection against trafficking in children. The second stage is characterized by the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924. In fact, it can be considered the first universal act that established an international normative mechanism for the protection of children’s rights. The vital rights of the child were enshrined indirectly, through the obligations of society. In the third stage, the international normative mechanism for the protection of children’s rights evolved thanks to the UN. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) established a list of rights and freedoms that apply to every person and to the child in particular. The Declaration on the Rights of the Child in 1959 expanded children’s rights, and other international documents in the field of children’s rights were adopted as well. The fourth phase begins with the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. The Convention is binding on States Parties. The Optional Protocols to the Convention regulate the protection of the rights of children in special circumstances (armed conflicts) or against special threats (sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography), and define the procedure for reporting violations of the rights of the child. The tangible successes achieved in the protection of children worldwide in the 30 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child are noted. The author emphasizes the necessity to intensify efforts of member states to implement its provisions in order to improve the life and well-being of children and their protection all over the world.