Poste - Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children

C A N A D I A N C O A L I T I O N F O R T H E R I G H T S O F C H I L D R E N
The mission of the Canadian Coalition for the Rights
of Children is to ensure a collective voice for Canadian
organizations concerned with the rights of children * as
outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
the Child. This year, Canada submits its first five-year
progress report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the
Child, as required by article 44 of the Convention. To
complement the report submitted by the Government of
Canada, the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children
has developed this non-governmental report on how Canada
measures up.
Monitoring the Convention is a complex and timeconsuming
undertaking that requires ongoing commitment.
The UN Committee has recommended that Canada establish
a permanent monitoring mechanism and the Coalition has
used this project as an opportunity to develop and test the
framework and components of a permanent monitoring
mechanism for non-governmental organizations.
This report was developed through extensive consultation
with organizations, experts and young people across the
country.
Methodology
Limitations
This report does not evaluate Canada’s implementation of
every article of the Convention. Consequently, Canada’s
compliance has been evaluated in six general areas. The
research focusses on selected jurisdictions over a particular
period of time because it was not possible to research
compliance in all 10 provinces and three territories with the
available resources.
Articles Researched
Since all articles could not be addressed, the Coalition’s
Board of Directors decided that:
• at least one article would be researched from the
UN Committee’s reporting categories four to eight; and
• selected articles should be able to be researched within
the project’s time frame.
introduction
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In the end, all of the reporting categories were
addressed to some extent.
Research Period
The project was launched in April 1998 when
75 experts came together at a working forum to consider
what should be monitored and what protocols and
processes should be established to direct the monitoring.
The articles to be monitored were subsequently
identified and research was conducted until February
1999, when review and evaluation committees were
formed. Most of the task groups completed their
evaluations by the end of June 1999 and no further
research was conducted.
Reporting Categories and Articles
Researched
1. General Measures of Implementation
Article 4: Canada’s international cooperation to promote
and enhance children’s rights
2. Definition of the Child
Considered throughout
3. General Principles
Considered throughout
4. Civil Rights and Freedoms
Articles 13, 14 and 15: Freedom of expression, freedom
of thought, conscience and religion, and freedom of
association and peaceful assembly
5. Family Environment and Alternative Care
Article 19: Abuse and Neglect
6. Basic Health and Welfare
Article 23: Children with Disabilities
7. Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities
Articles 28 and 29: The Right to and Aims of Education
8. Special Protection Measures
Article 22: Refugee Children
* “Children” has been used throughout to refer to people under 18 years of age.