Background The UNCRC has had a significant influence on legislation, policy and programmes in child health, transforming how children have been viewed and treated. The World report on child Injury prevention stressed the importance of using a child rights based approach.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose To explore ways in which the UNCRC can be used more widely in the field of child injury prevention, through the use of case studies of good practice from different parts of the world. To identify opportunities for how the child injury field can be enhanced.

Methods Rights can be divided into the three Ps of protection, participation, and provision. Rights of protection include the right to be protected from exploitation. Rights of participation enable children to be involved in decisions and actions that affect them. Rights of provision include the right to education, and the right to a safe environment.

Results/Outcomes We shall outline the key principles of the UNCRC and illustrate them using case studies drawn from three continents. These include: child labour and child injury; involving children in injury prevention, preventing injuries in Aboriginal children and influencing the policy agenda at national level.

Significance/Contribution to the field Framing the issue of child injury around a child rights approach may give it a higher profile. The strength of a rights-based approach is that human rights are legal obligations that underpin mechanisms to hold governments accountable. Use of the UNCRC would result in a more effective public health response to child injury.