National Child Day: One Year Later and No Plan of Action

In December of 2012, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child released its Concluding Observations on Canada’s Third and Fourth Report to the Committee on its implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Based on that document, the Canadian Coalition developed 10 Steps for Children in Canada to suggest ways that work could begin immediately on following up on the many recommendations made by the Committee.  We wrote to the Prime Minister asking that the Canadian government table a formal response to the Concluding Observations by November 20, 2013 giving them almost one year to review the recommendations and consult with officials, civil society and children on a Plan of Action.

As of today, November 20, 2013, National Child Day, no official response to the Concluding Observations has been made available. It seems unlikely that any such response will be forthcoming.  The government’s response to the Universal Periodic Review which reviews Canada’s record with respect to all core human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, suggests that they will not undertake any such Plan of Action. Read our summary of Canada’s response here.

“Sadly, the message we conveyed last November, of a call to action on children’s rights must be repeated again this National Child Day,” says Cheryl Milne, Chair Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children. “We are now taking our message to the people and organizations who work with children and care about children’s rights.”

Join us on December 3rd in Toronto at our Annual General Meeting where a panel of representatives of civil society will talk about how they implement the Convention in the work they do.  Share with us your efforts and continue to call upon the federal and provincial governments to do everything they can to implement children’s rights throughout Canada.

Click here for more information about our AGM  and here to access 10 Steps for Children in Canada

Get updates from CCRC

Leave a Comment