Why 20 November matters
World Children’s Day is an international observance held each year on 20 November. In 1954, the United Nations recommended that all countries mark a children’s day. The November date commemorates the adoption of two important documents on children’s rights.
The Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted on 20 November 1959, followed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the same date in 1989. The Convention is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty. It guarantees children’s rights to life, education, healthcare, protection from violence and the freedom to express their views.
Observance and public holiday status
World Children’s Day is not a public holiday: it is a normal working day in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria traditionally celebrates Children’s Day on 1 June. The observance on 20 November is more closely associated with institutions and organisations working on children’s rights, rather than the traditional June celebration.
Children’s rights and protection
The Convention rests on four guiding principles: non-discrimination, meaning that all children have equal rights; making the child’s best interests a primary consideration in decisions affecting them; the right to life and development; and the right to be heard and have their views taken into account.
Bulgaria is a party to the Convention, and children are also protected under the Child Protection Act. Anyone who suspects violence against a child can call the National Helpline for Children on 116 111.