children rights

The protection of children’s rights under international law from a
Namibian perspective
Oliver C Ruppel
I dedicate this article to all the children under the Namibian sun and stars and in particular to my lovely children Franziska Freyja Nicolette and Sophia Emma Antoinette Mandisa

Introduction
International provisions relating to the protection of children’s rights exist within various legal systems. For the purpose of this chapter, these legal systems are subdivided into three levels, namely global, regional and sub-regional. Before turning to the protection of children’s rights within these levels, however, the paper briefly introduces the application of international law in Namibia.
The focus within the protection of children’s rights on a global level will be on the legal framework of the United Nations (UN). Being a member of the UN since 1990, Namibia is party to many UN Conventions and has shown a strong commitment towards the protection of children’s rights. Although the UN legal framework offers broad protection of children’s rights, legal instruments by other global institutions also play a key role in the field of children’s rights in Namibia, and will therefore be outlined accordingly.
Besides the global level, children’s rights are also laid down on the regional and subregional level. In this context, the systems to be discussed from a Namibian perspective are those of the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community
(SADC).

The application of international law in Namibia
There is no task more important than building a world in which all of our children can grow up to realize their full potential, in health, peace and dignity.1

International law has developed rapidly over the past few decades, especially since the dawn of the UN, when rules and norms regulating activities carried on outside the legal boundaries of nations were developed. Numerous international agreements – bilateral, regional or

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