Box 8: Human rights of special significance to children RIGHT/OBLIGATION TREATY SOURCE The right of children to protection from all forms of discrimination irrespective of the child’s or his or her parent’s or legal guardian’s race, colour, sex, language, religion, political, or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status. • • Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 2; African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, article 3. The best interests of the child to be the primary consideration in all actions concerning children • • Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 3; African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, article 4. Right of child to freedom of expression • • Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 12; African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, article 7. Prohibition on the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad • Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 11. Protection of children from economic exploitation and from performing hazardous or harmful work • • Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 32; Convention for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999 (Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention), article 3 (d); African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, article 15. Protection of children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse • • • • Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 34; Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (Optional Protocol on the sale of children); African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, articles 15, 16 and 27. Protection of children from abduction, sale or trafficking • • • • Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 35; Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, article 3 (a); Optional Protocol on the sale of children; African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, article 29. Protection of children from other forms of exploitation • • Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 36; Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention. (continued on next page) COMMENTARY 65