These children may have small voices but they have big dreams.

One in three of the world’s children say children’s rights to protection are still not being met.

That’s according to the Small Voices Big Dreams survey – one of the largest global polls of children’s views in the world.

Marking the 25^th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, this year’s survey asked 6,000 children from 44 countries – both developed and developing – to explain why child’s rights were important to them.

“Child rights mean that children are allowed to be children, that they have the right to education, that they are not exposed to violence, that they can be happy and feel secure.” – Farah, 11, Germany

 

Nicolas, France

The survey asks children to nominate what rights they believe they have and all children should have. Their responses included things like a right to survival, safety, freedom, food and education.

Only 11% of children globally said that their opinion was taken seriously by adults all of the time.

“For me the most important right is to be free and to be able to express opinions without fear.” – Daniela 11, Ecuador

Eira, Australia 

The children, aged 10-12, also penned letters to world leaders asking that their rights be respected. Hear what they have to say in the video below.

Read the full results of the survey here.