This paper is based on field research carried out in Rwanda in August 1999 and assesses the usefulness and problems in using the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a framework for policy and practice on children's rights in Rwanda. The struggle to rebuild communities and families in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide has placed a huge burden on children. Tet Rwanda's future chances for reconciliation and development depend on its children as those aged 10-14 years account for 42% of the total population. Angela Veale illustrates the vulnerability of certain groups of children, particularly child headed households, which are predominantly female. In her concluding reflections she points out that children's best interests cannot only be conceptualised as situated within an individual entity, as children are intrinsically tied tip in the collective psychological and social recovery of their communities. She emphasises that strategies to address child rights must be built on participation by children themselves, a factor which too often is missing in many programmes and policies.