Association Insight International & European Association Insights Spring 2015 | Page 27

Association Success Story | Association Insights

Association Success Story
Project
Play – a forgotten right? A campaign for UN recognition
of children’s right to play, to set the standards and draw
attention to the obligations of governments

This should lead to a better understanding of the child’s
right to play and give support to advocate for the
implementation of the right, which each states has agreed
to realize.

Categories
Partnerships / Alliances, Effective advocacy

Dates
2008 to 2015

Association
International Play Association: Promoting the Child’s Right
to Play (IPA)

Members
IPA is a multidisciplinary association,with members in more
than 50 countries worldwide,committed to protecting,
preserving and promoting children’s right to play as a
fundamental human right.

Project team
IPA team: Ms. Theresa Casey, IPA President, the late Valerie
Fronczek (- 2013), IPA Board, Council and members
worldwide;
14 international partners organisations, implementing
consultations and reviews
Eight international supporting organisations to the request
for publication of the UN General Comment on the Right to
Play
Core group to the drafting of the General Comment:
Theresa Casey, Valerie Fronczek, Dr. Jan van Gils, Prof.
Roger Hart, Dr SelimIltus
60 international experts on all aspects of children’s ‘article
31 rights’

Objectives
The aim of the campaign was to harness the power of our
worldwide network of members to effect a change at the
highest level with regard to children’s right to play. (Article
31 - the aspect of the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child which encompasses children’s right to play.)

Introduction
As an international non-governmental organization, IPA
members from around the world share a deep concern
that child’s right to play is often being overlooked. There
is a growing evidence of play deprivation that affects
the healthy development of children. Children’s play is
endangered by unfavourable developments in children’s
living conditions almost everywhere in the world, e.g. city
planning, pressure for educational achievement, natural
and human disaster, etc.

Background
IPA’s purpose is to protect, preserve and promote the
child’s right to play as a fundamental human right. Play
is a fundamental and vital dimension of the pleasure
of childhood. It is an essential component of children’s
development. Article 31 of the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC) recognises the right of every
child to play, but children throughout the world face
significant barriers in realizing this particular right.
Jacob Doek former chair of the UN Committee on the
Rights of the Child described article 31 as the “forgotten
article” in his keynote speech at IPA World Conference
Hong Kong in 2008. The urge for a global campaign for
a UN General Comment on article 31 to instil effective
changes worldwide was started. This initiative was quickly
supported by all branches of IPA and other international
organizations.
Access to Play in Crisis Flyer by IPA World

» To mobilise a worldwide network of article 31 advocates
and to harness expertise to raise awareness of the
importance of play in the lives of children
» To gather specific material demonstrating infringements
of children’s right to play
» To request that the UN issue guidance and make
recommendations to Governments to ensure children’s
play rights are met.
We aimed to raise awareness of the importance of
Article 31 with States Parties (governments) government
departments, civil society and the general public across the
world through the drafting and adoption of a UN General
Comment on Article 31. (A General Comment (GC) is an
official document of the United Nations.)

www.associationsnetwork.org

Activities
Over a period of 3 years IPA undertook the huge
underlying tasks of gathering information, evidence,
carrying out research and building partnerships in order to
achieve its objectives. IPA need to build a case for higher
recognition for children’s play rights and in this in a number
of ways.

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