Anika-Li

Children's Rights  Children are entitled to all the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the various treaties that have developed from it.  Children are also guaranteed additional rights because they need special protection and care.  Children must be able to depend on the adult to look after them, to defend their rights, and to help them develop and realize their potential.  The UN Convention on the Rights of the child-the most widely ratified human rights treaty.  This convention is the first legally binding international agreement to include children's civil and political rights.  The Convention began in 1979, the International Year of the Child.

Children's Rights in Canada  The British Columbia government established the Ministry of Children and Family Development to help communities and families.  In 2006, Mary Ellen Turpel -Lafond became the first Representative for Children and Youth, a new position created in B.C.

Children's Rights in Canada Continue  The unique vulnerability of children that their rights are of priority concern within Canada’s foreign policy.  Children’s rights have earned increased attention across the United Nations spectrum.  Resolutions on the rights of the child have been adopted at both the Human Rights Council, and the UN Commission on Human Rights, and the UN General Assembly.

Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children  After Canada adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, several organizations decided to form the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC).  The CCRC is a network of Canadian organizations and individuals that monitor how Canada fulfills its obligation to UN Convention on the Rights of the child.

Child Poverty  Child poverty is perhaps the single biggest children’s rights issue in Canada.  In 1989, the House of Commons passed a resolution “to achieve the goal of eliminating poverty among Canadian children by the year 2000”.  Almost 20 years later, the numbers of children in Canada living below statistics Canada’s low income cut-off (LICO)- this means that more than 70% of its income is on basic living necessity such as food, clothing and shelter.

Child Poverty Continues  Others emphasize that they wanted the government to invest in programs and services for poor children and their families such as good quality and affordable child care, housing supplements, and allowances (such as the Child Tax Benefit Program) paid directly to low-and middle–income families.