The principle of the best interests of the child after two decades of practice: comparative perspectives

Abstract

In 2010, the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) celebrated its 20th anniversary. The CRD principles have been gradually incorporated into the legislation on children and adolescents of those countries that have ratified it since it began on 1990. Among them, the “best interests of the child” is probably the most quoted and referred not only at a legislative and policy level but also in social and cultural practices. This accounts for the need for comparative analysis that show cultural, social and political specifities. This special issue focuses theoretical discussions and empirical data on the circulation of children in different local contexts (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Catalonia, Ecuador, Spain, United States, France, Guatemala, Peru, Oceania and Sweden) in a comparative perspective.