Children's rights: a decade of dispute.

Aim: This paper attempts to raise issues surrounding children's rights against a backdrop of ethical principles and their subsequent interpretation and application in practice.

Method: Key words have been used to search a selection of electronic databases and a range of 'grey' literature has been reviewed.

Background: Over a decade ago the United Nations (1989) Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified, with the exception of two member states (UNICEF 2000).