Article 6

You have the right to life.

All children and young people have the right to survive and the right to develop. Article 6 recognises this, and says that the government should work to prevent the deaths of children and young people.

Steps the government can take to do this include:

  • investigating and reporting the causes of death among children and young people
  • making sure steps are taken to prevent suicide among young people
  • making sure steps are taken to prevent traffic accidents that happen to young people.

A right to develop

Article 6 also says that children and young people should be able to grow up in conditions that don't impact negatively on their physical and mental wellbeing. It says the government should make sure they can live in these conditions in order that they can develop.

Related articles

Article 6 is considered a general principle of the UNCRC. This means it should be considered when thinking about any other articles in the Convention.

Other general principles of the UNCRC include:

  • Article 2, which says children and young people should be protected from discrimination
  • Article 3, which says the best interests of children and young people should always be considered
  • Article 12, which says that the opinions of children and young people matter.