For over 30 years, the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC) has been the lead national umbrella group of organizations and individuals committed to the respect of the rights of children and the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in Canada. The Coalition operates as a charitable organization under federal legislation. The board is elected at each AGM, and includes representatives of child rights organizations, individual advocates, and academic specialists on children’s rights. Our work is guided by and rooted in the CRC, and we are committed to helping Canada honour its commitments to the Convention as a ratifying party since 1991. We pursue our mission through:
- Public education about children’s rights (e.g., free webinars, fact sheets, events, research and sharing of resources)
- Monitoring and reporting on Canada’s implementation progress of the CRC
- Policy analysis
- Engaging public officials in discussing and advancing children’s rights
- Supporting the active participation of children
- Building a network of interest in children’s rights across the country
Accomplishments
The coalition was formed right after the CRC was adopted in 1989, to focus attention on the rights of children in Canada. The coalition celebrates many achievements:
- Canada ratified the CRC on December, 1991 in the presence of the coalition and youth delegates from each of the provinces and territories.
- Children from all parts of Canada have participated in consultations on matters that affect them, with the support of coalition members. Children from Canada have participated in the World Summit for Children, the Earth Summit, and the UN Special Session for Children, and other national and international events.
- The Coalition provided policy recommendations for Canada’s participation in the UN Special Session for Children, and for Canada’s Action Plan, entitled “A Canada Fit for Children.”
- The Coalition provides a vehicle for Canadian civil society organizations to participate in the regular five-year reviews of Canada’s implementation of the CRC before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
- The Coalition participated in Justice Canada’s consultations on a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) Tool and e-learning course.
- The Coalition makes submissions on policy proposals before parliament from the perspective of children’s rights.
- Every year the Coalition provides a child-rights analysis of the federal budget.