Universal Children's Day, observed on 20 November, was first proclaimed by the United Kingdom in 1954, to encourage actions to benefit and promote the welfare of the world's children. On this day in 1959, the United Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and, in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This is a day to both celebrate children for who they are and to bring awareness to children around the globe succumbing to violence in forms of abuse, exploitation and discrimination.