The Right to a Good Start in Life ECD Report

Early Childhood Development (ECD) is a fundamental human right, essential for ensuring that all children have the opportunity to survive and to thrive – regardless of socioeconomic status, gender, or crisis situation. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), is one of the multiple international agreements that affirm that children have rights to survival, development, health, education, protection, and participation. States Parties are obliged to respect, protect, and fulfil these rights by investing in ECD policies and programmes, particularly in the case of marginalized and vulnerable populations. This obligation extends to children affected by emergencies, displacement, and disaster– those children who often experience the most severe violations of their early rights.