Alternative Reports for the 5th/6th Review of Children’s Rights in Canada
Right to Grow Up Free From Poverty: Report by Canada Without Poverty,Campaign 2000, and Citizens for Public Justice for 5th/6th Review
This report provides an analysis of barriers to realizing children’s right to full development, caused by poverty. It provides useful information about the Federal Poverty Reduction Strategy, provincial social assistance rates, food security, housing, and other factors that impact child development. It makes recommendations to fulfill the right of children to have access to adequate resources for full development.
Corporal Punishment: Alternative Report on Section 43 of the Criminal Code
Children are the only people in Canada without full legal protection from assault. That is the opening line in this report on corporal punishment, its harmful impacts for children, why it violates children’s rights, and reasons why Canada should repeal section 43 of the Criminal Code.
Children On-line: Participation, Privacy and Children’s Rights:
Taking On-line Rights Seriously; Ensuring Children’s Active Participation in Network Spaces: The eQuality Project report
This report addresses the implications of children’s rights to participate and to privacy for public policy that regulates on-line activity in Canada.
Research Reports
Preventing All Forms of Violence
Implementing Article 19 of the Convention requires duty-bearers to take all appropriate measures to prevent all forms of violence against children. As a step toward that goal, Canada announced in November 2018 that it would become a Pathfinder Country in the global initiative to End Violence Against Children. In June 2019, the CCRC, UNICEF, and PrevNet co-hosted a national consultation on Ending Violence Against Children in Canada, to facilitate civil society discussion and input into Canada’s Pathway to End Violence Against Children. As part of that initiative, a research paper analyzed available data about the current situation in Canada. These documents provide useful information on violence against children in Canada and proposals for actions to prevent it.
- Violence Against Children in Canada: It’s Time to Act: a research paper on rates and kinds of violence against children in Canada.
- Finding Our Path Toward Childhoods Free From Violence: a summary report from the June Workshop identifies causes of violence against children in Canada, gaps in existing services, and suggestions for action to make progress toward the goal of preventing all forms of violence against children.
- Canada: A Pathfinding Country: Canada’s Road Map to End Violence Against Canada. In August 2019 the Public Health Agency of Canada released this plan for actions to be taken by the federal government.
- CCRC Recommendations to Strengthen Canada’s Road Map to End Violence Against Canada: Suggestions for a more robust plan of action, based on the June consultation, include suggestions for more effective collaboration between civil society and government bodies across the country, frequent monitoring for greater transparency and accountability to children, and a national public education strategy on what it means that children have the right to grow up free from all forms of violence.
Freedom from Exploitation in the Workplace
Canada implemented a recommendation in the last review to ratify ILO Convention 138 which addresses age of employment. Provinces lead in implementation, including informing young people about their rights in the workplace, providing a complaint process, and monitoring safety and fair treatment in the workplace.
The CCRC produced and distributed a Fact Sheet to encourage implementation in ways that would protect the rights of young people in the workplace. A background research paper provides information about related provisions in provincial labour legislation. The CCRC hopes the 5th/6th report will provide more information about effective implementation to achieve the goal of realizing the rights of young people in the workplace.