Too many children remain at risk of harm, regrettably, in all too many societies. This is despite the almost universal acceptance of the 1990 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Its intention, arguably somewhat naively, is to create two state imperatives: to protect children against threats of harm; and to advance their welfare. Governments, however, have evidenced a pragmatic reluctance to meet these challenges, perhaps a product of conflicting community expectations on the appropriate role of the state, combined with a scarcity of public resources. For the state to meet its UNCRC obligations requires it to have three crucial capacities. The first is the governance capacity to be able to take the necessary actions to prevent or correct the harm experienced by children. The second is the organizational capacity to direct sufficient resources to do what needs to be done in a timely manner, in a culturally sensitive way, and without causing them other forms of harm. The third is the epistemological capacity to know when it is in the “best interests” of children for the state, in the “public interest,” to stop particular child practices or to separate particular children from their families in order to provide the care and protection they need. These are the ultimate challenges facing governments if they wish to achieve the vision of the state as the protector and promoter of the best interests of children that is embedded in the UNCRC, to which almost all states have committed.

中文翻译：

---

国家作为父母的国际视角：天真的理想主义或不情愿的实用主义

遗憾的是，在太多的社会中，太多的儿童仍然面临着伤害的风险。尽管 1990 年的《联合国儿童权利公约》（UNCRC）几乎得到普遍接受，但情况仍然如此。其意图，可以说有些天真，是为了创造两个国家要务：保护儿童免受伤害威胁；并促进他们的福利。然而，政府已经表现出务实的不愿意迎接这些挑战，这可能是社区对国家适当作用的期望相互冲突以及公共资源稀缺的产物。国家要履行其 UNCRC 义务，需要具备三个关键能力。首先是能够采取必要行动预防或纠正儿童遭受伤害的治理能力。第二个是组织能力，能够以对文化敏感的方式将足够的资源用于及时完成需要完成的工作，并且不会对他们造成其他形式的伤害。第三是认识论能力，知道什么时候为国家、“公共利益”、停止特定儿童行为或将特定儿童与家庭分开以提供照顾和照顾符合儿童的“最佳利益”和“公共利益”。他们需要的保护。如果政府希望实现国家作为儿童最大利益的保护者和促进者的愿景，这些愿景是政府面临的最终挑战，而这些愿景是几乎所有国家都已承诺的联合国儿童权利公约。并且不会对他们造成其他形式的伤害。第三是认识论能力，知道什么时候为国家、“公共利益”、停止特定儿童行为或将特定儿童与家庭分开以提供照顾和照顾符合儿童的“最佳利益”和“公共利益”。他们需要的保护。如果政府希望实现国家作为儿童最大利益的保护者和促进者的愿景，这些愿景是政府面临的最终挑战，而这些愿景是几乎所有国家都已承诺的联合国儿童权利公约。并且不会对他们造成其他形式的伤害。第三是认识论能力，知道什么时候为国家、“公共利益”、停止特定儿童行为或将特定儿童与家庭分开以提供照顾和照顾符合儿童的“最佳利益”和“公共利益”。他们需要的保护。如果政府希望实现国家作为儿童最大利益的保护者和促进者的愿景，这些愿景是政府面临的最终挑战，而这些愿景是几乎所有国家都已承诺的联合国儿童权利公约。