In a groundbreaking move, the United Nations General Assembly stepped up to defend the most vulnerable among us, recognizing that childhood is a time of rapid growth and exploration, but also of great vulnerability. On November 20, 1959, the UN adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, a 10-article manifesto that set out the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of children everywhere. This landmark document emphasized the need for special care and protection for children, acknowledging their unique status as the future of humanity.