Because of their stage of development, levels of maturity and evolving capacities, children are dependent on adults and government for their survival and development. While adults can have access to the vote, legal redress and formal complaints procedures if their rights are not realised, children are generally excluded from these mechanisms. Children are then powerless in the policy-making process and their interests remain invisible to government unless there is a conscious and systematic effort made by governments to protect and promote them.

At the same time children are among the largest recipients of public services – children can benefit enormously from government services but they are equally vulnerable to government failures and omissions. Because of their development stage, the negative effects of a policy or program on children can be devastating and can result in long-term impacts on children’s potential as healthy, productive and peaceful adults. This places a significant responsibility on decision-makers (primary duty bearers) to ensure that the impact of an initiative on children and their rights is properly assessed.

Child rights mainstreaming entails a systematic assessment of the effects (positive, negative, direct or indirect) of a policy or program on child rights. Before decisions are taken, governments are duty-bound by the CRC to determine how their actions will affect girl and boy children, how negative effects can be minimised and what can be done to respect, protect and fulfil rights for all children.