Values

Save the Children Sweden bases its work on the fundamental values expressed in the

UN Declaration on Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the

Child (CRC). Our work is therefore rooted in a rights’ perspective and is founded

on the conviction that:

 

All people are of equal value

Children and adults are of equal value. Every individual has an inviolable value as a

human being and is entitled to integrity, a dignified life and to be treated with

respect. No one should be exposed to discrimination on account of age, gender, disability,

sexual orientation, ethnic background, religion or any other reason.

 

Children have special rights

Children have special rights that give them extra support and protection. It is the

right of every child to have his/her needs met. No one should have to depend on

charity. The four basic principles of the CRC guide our work:

 

• All children have a right to life and development. Every child has a right to develop

to his/her full potential and to be protected against abuse and exploitation. Children

in vulnerable situations are entitled to more attention and support than others.

• No child should be discriminated against. All children are born with equal rights.

Every child has a right to be respected and to be allowed full participation.

• All children have a right to be heard. All children have a right to express themselves,

to be heard and, with increasing maturity, to have influence over their lives

and society.

• The child’s best interests should be a guide. Children are in the most sensitive

and impressionable period of their life. All decisions and measures affecting children

should pay particular heed to the best interests of the individual child and of

children as a group.

 

Everybody has a responsibility – but the State has a particular obligation

All people have a responsibility to act to ensure that the rights of the child are

respected – in their immediate surroundings and in society at large. Parents and relatives

have primary responsibility for the care, support and guidance of the child.

With increasing maturity, the child him-/herself has a responsibility to respect the

rights of other children and adults. The State and its authorities at various levels have

a duty to safeguard the rights of children through laws, political decisions, allocation

of resources and other practical measures. Each country also has an obligation to

assist other nations in upholding the rights of their children.