Fundamental Rights of Children and Adolescents Under LOPNA

Item 10: Basic Principles of LOPNA

Right to Survival

Articles 15, 41, 30, and 52

• Right to Life: All children and adolescents have the right to life. The State shall guarantee this right through public policies aimed at ensuring the survival and development of all children and adolescents.
• Right to Health and Health Services: All children and adolescents have the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. They are entitled to free, high-quality health services, especially for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions.
• Right to an Adequate Standard of Living: All children and adolescents have the right to a standard of living adequate for their development, including:
  • Nutritionally balanced food in quality and quantity that meets dietetic, hygiene, and health standards.
  • Clothing appropriate to the climate that protects their health.
  • Proper, safe, and hygienic housing with access to essential public services.
• Right to Social Security: All children and adolescents have the right to register and benefit from the Social Security System.

Right to Development

Articles 53, 17, 68, and 27

• Right to Education: All children and adolescents have the right to education. They are entitled to be registered and receive education in an official school campus that is free and located near their residence.
• Right to Identity: Every child has the right to be identified immediately after birth. The State must ensure that newborns are identified in a mandatory and timely manner, establishing the filial bond with the mother.
• Right to Information: All children and adolescents are entitled to receive, seek, and use information appropriate for their development and to freely choose the means of information, subject only to legal limitations and the guidance of their parents or guardians.
• Right to Maintain Personal Relations: All children and adolescents have the right to maintain regular, permanent personal relations and direct contact with both parents, even when separated, unless it is contrary to their best interests.

Right to Protection

Articles 33, 65, 87, and 44

• Right to be Protected Against Abuse and Sexual Exploitation: All children and adolescents are entitled to protection against any form of abuse and sexual exploitation. The State must guarantee continuous, free programs and comprehensive care for victims.
• Right to Honor, Reputation, Self-Image, and Privacy: All children and adolescents have the right to honor, reputation, and self-image. They are entitled to the privacy and intimacy of family life, which cannot be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference.