Children's Rights: Justice, Maternity, and Participation

Right to Justice: All children and adolescents have the right to appear before a competent, independent, and impartial tribunal to defend their rights and interests, with decisions made on their petitions within statutory periods. All adolescents are fully capable of directly and personally exercising this right.

Maternity Protection: The State shall protect maternity. To this effect, it must ensure that all women receive free, high-quality care services and programs during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal phase. Additionally, it should ensure care programs specifically geared toward the guidance and protection of the maternal and filial bond of all adolescent girls and pregnant mothers.

Right to Participation and Freedom of Expression

All children and adolescents have the right to freely express their opinions and disseminate ideas, images, and information of every kind, without prior censorship, either orally, in writing, in artistic form, or by any other means of their choice. Restrictions are limited to those specified in the Law for the Protection of their rights, the rights of others, and public order.

Right to Speak and Be Heard: All children and adolescents are entitled to:

• Freely express their opinions in matters of interest.
• Have their views taken into account based on their development.

Right of Free Association: All children and adolescents have the right to associate freely with others for social, cultural, sporting, recreational, religious, political, economic, labor, or other legal purposes.

Society Participation in LOPNA

General Obligations of the State (Article 4)

The State has the mandatory obligation to take all appropriate legislative, administrative, judicial, and any other measures necessary and appropriate to ensure that all children and adolescents fully and effectively enjoy their rights and guarantees.

General Obligations of the Family (Article 5)

The family is responsible, with priority, immediacy, and unavoidability, to ensure children and adolescents fully and effectively enjoy their rights and guarantees.

The father and mother have joint and equal responsibilities and obligations regarding the care, development, and overall education of their children.

The State must ensure policies, programs, and appropriate assistance are in place so that the family can properly assume this responsibility, and for parents and mothers to take on equal terms, responsibilities, and obligations.

Society Participation (Article 6)

Society needs to and is entitled to participate actively to achieve the full and effective enjoyment of rights and guarantees of all children and adolescents.

The State must create ways to direct and actively involve society in defining, implementing, and monitoring policies aimed at protecting children and adolescents.