On October 1, 2015, Somalia ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, depositing its ratification instrument at the United Nations headquarters during the annual treaty event.  According to a news report, Somalia became “the 196th State party to the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history.” The Convention was adopted in 1989 and protects the human rights of children, including “the right to life, to health, to education and to play, as well as the right to family life, to be protected from violence and from any form of discrimination, and to have their views heard.” The Secretary-General welcomed Somalia’s ratification and encouraged the United States “to join the global movement and help the world reach the objective of universal ratification.”