Rights of WA children and young people

The Commissioner for Children and Young People is committed to promoting the rights of all children and young people in WA.

All children have the right to be safe, healthy, happy and learning. Everyone has a responsibility, including family, carers, the broader community and children and young people, to work together to deliver these rights.

In making sure these rights are upheld, the Commissioner must give special consideration to those children who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, or vulnerable or disadvantaged for any reason.

The Statement of Commitment to Western Australia’s children and young people formalises the Commissioner’s obligation to monitor and promote the rights of children and young people in Western Australia.

It outlines nine key rights for all WA children and young people, including the right to:

Be safe and feel safe everywhere
Belong and be me
Be treated fairly and humanely
Contribute, make decisions and be listened to
Education and lifelong learning
Explore, express and create
A healthy life
Play, have fun and be active
Be loved

The Statement is intended to guide the Western Australian community’s collective efforts to ensure the wellbeing of all children and young people in this state. It is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and informed by conversations with Western Australian children and young people.

“It’s about your rights that you have, that you actually deserve. And people can’t just take those things away from you.”

If you would like more information on this project or us to send you copies of the resources, please contact us on (08) 6213 2297 or email us.