Question

grammar & usage
verb voice
verbs have active and passive voice in all six tenses. a passive - voice verb always contains a form of be followed by the past participle of the verb. the voice of a verb (active or passive) indicates whether the subject performs (active) or receives (passive) the action. active voice, future tense: \the child shall enjoy all the rights...\. passive voice, future tense: \every child... shall be entitled...\. generally, it is preferable to use the active voice in your writing. the active voice is more direct and concise. however, the passive voice is appropriate when the doer of the action is unknown or is less important than the receiver of the action. in a formal document such as this proclamation, why is the use of passive voice appropriate?
my notes
3 whereas the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth,
4 whereas the need for such special safeguards has been stated in the geneva declaration of the rights of the child of 1924, and recognized in the universal declaration of human rights and in the statutes of specialized agencies and international organizations concerned with the welfare of children,
5 whereas mankind owes to the child the best it has to give,
6 now therefore,
7 the general assembly
8 proclaims this declaration of the rights of the child to the end that he may have a happy childhood and enjoy for his own good and for the good of society the rights and freedoms herein set forth, and calls upon parents, upon men and women as individuals, and upon voluntary organizations, local authorities and national governments to recognize these rights and strive for their observance by legislative and other measures progressively taken in accordance with the following principles:
principle 1
9 the child shall enjoy all the rights set forth in this declaration. every child, without any exception whatsoever, shall be entitled to these rights, without distinction or discrimination on account of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, whether of himself or of his family.
principle 2
10 the child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. in the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.
principle 3
11 the child shall be entitled from his birth to a name and a nationality.
principle 4
12 the child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. he shall be entitled to grow and develop in health; to this end, special care and protection shall be provided both to him and to his mother, including adequate pre - natal and post - natal care. the child shall have the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services.
principle 5
13 the child who is physically, mentally or socially handicapped shall be given the special treatment, education and care required by his particular condition.

Explanation:

In a formal proclamation like the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, the focus is on the rights and entitlements of the child (the receiver of the action). The doer of the action (who is providing the rights, protection etc.) is often less important or unknown in the context of emphasizing the child - centered nature of the document. So, the passive voice is appropriate as it highlights the child as the recipient of actions such as being entitled, being protected, etc.

Answer:

The passive voice is appropriate because the focus is on the child as the receiver of actions and the doer is less important or unknown in the context of emphasizing the child's rights and protections.