Why has the United States of America Not Ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child? The Veto Fulcrum as a New Health Policy Analysis Framework

Abstract

Background The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) enshrines health as a human right among other rights for children, the fulfillment of which can be advanced by each member state legally endorsing the principles through ratification of the Convention. The most rapidly and widely ratified human rights treaty in history, only the United States of America of all of the UN state parties has not ratified the CRC. This study aimed to determine the reason(s) the CRC has not been ratified by the USA.