The Convention on the Rights of the Children (CRC), the Global Developmental Agenda and Children in Small Island Developing States (SIDs)

The members of the United Nations celebrate 30 years of the adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 2019. This milestone has added significance in a context in which we are about a decade away from fulfilling the targeted goals of the UN 2030 Agenda with its pledge to leave no country or no-one behind. This is an opportune moment to assess the status of children in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Using primary and secondary data, the chapter assesses the status of children after 30 years of the CRC in four Caribbean SIDs; Barbados, Jamaica, Haiti and St Lucia. The focus is on poverty, education, health and climate change related CRC articles and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data analysis reveals that the vulnerabilities of SIDS impede adherence to Child Rights for large proportions of children who are at risk of being left behind. Climate Change increases their vulnerabilities and disparities persist in access to basic social services. As with the CRC and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the implementation of the SDGs is plagued with a lack of timely and disaggregated data to inform the policy process; inadequate programmatic coordination; insufficient financial support; limited accountability and political will. Cultural perceptions of children and inadequate recognition of the importance of children to any the Developmental Agenda also thwart progress for children in SIDs. Urgent action is needed if we are to fulfil all the commitments that we made to our children since 1989 with the adoption of the CRC.