The date 20 November 1989 marked a milestone in the protection and promotion of the rights of children across the globe. On that day – after ten years of negotiations – the United Nations (UN) General Assembly finally adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. By signing this Convention, governments for the first time internationally acknowledged their responsibility towards children. Some 20 years later, in November 2009, the Convention has been ratified by 193 states – the highest number of ratifications of all international Conventions to date.