“Why do we need children’s rights if we already have human rights?” – this is a question that keeps coming up in public debate. After all, children are human beings too, so do they really need additional protection? This film shows why such thinking is a dangerous oversimplification.
Children, although entitled to all rights inherent to human dignity, live in a world dominated by adults — those who make decisions about their education, health, safety, and everyday life. Their voices can be easily ignored, and their needs may go unnoticed. That is why children’s rights exist: to address this structural inequality and protect those who do not yet have the tools to defend themselves independently.
In the film, Monika Horna-Cieślak, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, in conversation with Robert Lisiewicz, trainee lawyer at the Free Courts Foundation, illustrates how this difference in perspective works in practice: where children are most at risk of violence, in which situations their voices are silenced, and why a dedicated commissioner is essential, even though the Ombudsman for Citizens’ Rights exists.
The material addresses, among other things:
- why human rights alone are not always enough to protect the youngest
- what everyday invisibility of children’s needs looks like, and how easy it is to overlook them
- whether children can be trusted and why their accounts are often exceptionally precise
- the role of adults in ensuring safety, attentiveness, and being heard
- where to seek help and support in situations of risk — at school, in the family, online, and in public institutions
This is an invitation to reflect on whether we truly treat children as full members of our community. Children’s rights only work when they are genuinely protected, not just written down in documents.