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September 07, 2021
Where are Children’s Rights in the 2021 Federal Election?
We are more than half-way through the 2021 federal election campaign, and once again, the rights of children do not appear to be a focus for any party. In campaign literature, stump speeches, and press releases, the main political parties portray children as objects of care, barriers to parents in the workforce, or future workers. They are not portrayed as persons with rights that the government has a duty to uphold.

The CCRC strongly believes that a Canada that fulfills its responsibilities to the rights of children is one in which all citizens will best be able to thrive. Thirty years ago, Canada ratified the Convention on the Rights of Children, and yet we know that there are still so many inequities faced by children in Canada today.

In May 2022, Canada will appear before the Committee on the Rights of the Child for the 5th/6th UN Review. During this federal election, the CCRC calls on all parties to commit to the full realization of children’s rights in Canada: the UN Review process is a good place to start to illustrate their commitment to children’s rights.

The List of Issues was released by the Committee on the Rights of the Child late last year, and it names critical issues for realizing children’s rights in Canada. The CCRC wants to see a plan of concrete actions to address the concerns in the list of issues. It is a critical part of making this review process productive for children, their families, governments, and all of Canadian society.

In particular, we see two doable preliminary steps to strengthen on-going implementation and monitoring of the Convention.
- Establish an on-going Federal Government/Civil Society Dialogue group or Advisory Council that would meet periodically to monitor progress on the next set of Concluding Observations and other emerging issues in the implementation of children’s rights in Canada. Umbrella groups could help to ensure that the most relevant expertise is brought to the table for different issues and also strengthen integration across rights and civil society groups engaged with children’s rights.
- Strengthen the mandate and reporting structure of the Inter-Governmental Working Group on Children's Rights so that it can inform the federal policy-making process.

The federal election is a good time to remind parties that the Convention on the Rights of Children was ratified in Canada 30 years ago, and it is time to honour our commitments. Children must be seen as rights-holders, not merely future workers, or burdens to society or their parents.

Volunteer needed: website/graphic design

The CCRC is looking for a volunteer to help us with our website upkeep, graphic design, and general maintenance of our online presence.

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Volunteer needed: website/graphic design

Six game-changing actions to end violence against children: policy proposals that will make a difference

Check out the recently announced 6 game-changing actions to end violence against children by the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children. The CCRC supports efforts to create policies that will lead to real change in ending childhood violence.

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Six game-changing actions to end violence against children: policy proposals that will make a difference
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