Dear [name] I am writing to express my strong support for the U.S. ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention is the first legally binding document to recognize human rights for all children regardless of cultural and physical boundaries. As a treaty of international law, it codifies principles that member states of the United Nations agreed to be universal, including protection from slavery and exploitation, free and compulsory education, adequate nutrition and health care, the freedom to express opinions and thought, and the right to have safe access to leisure, play, and art. 193 countries have ratified the Convention, making it the most widely accepted and ratified legal document in the world. While the United States helped craft the document, it, along with the failed state of Somalia, are the only two countries to have not ratified the Convention. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a historic and unique document in its advancement of human rights and child protection. The convention is more than just a legal instrument in defining the responsibilities of participating governments; it is a universal, ethical statement that builds upon core human values about securing for children a future free from fear and want. Sincerely, [Your name]