National Child Day Recognizes Importance of Safeguarding Rights of Children and Youth
November 20th marks the day on which the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (in 1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC in 1989). This year marks the 26th anniversary of the adoption of the CRC.
In 1989, world leaders determined that children needed particular safeguards and as such proclaimed a special Convention for them. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights. The document spells out basic human rights that children everywhere can expect: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.
The Convention protects children’s rights by setting standards in health care, education and legal, civil and social services. By agreeing to undertake the obligations of the Convention, national governments have committed themselves to protecting and ensuring children’s rights and they have agreed to hold themselves accountable for this commitment before the international community.
National Child Day has been celebrated in Canada on November 20th since 1993. By ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991, Canada made a commitment to ensuring that all children are treated with dignity and respect and have an opportunity to have a voice, be protected from harm and are provided with their basic needs, as well as an opportunity to reach their full potential. The Kawartha-Haliburton CAS and Highland Shores Children’s Aid support local, provincial and national strategies that are designed to further the progress being made on all commitments.
National Child Day serves as an important reminder that all children and youth have a right to be safe and that each one of us can do our part to keep them safe and well-cared for. For more information on how you can help prevent child abuse or neglect visit www.khcas.on.ca or www.highlandshorescas.com.
