It is an important day with the release of “A Canada Fit for Children”, the federal government’s national plan of action resulting from its commitment made to the international community at the United Nations Special Session on Children in May 2002. It builds on the foundation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and on the vision of the National Children’s Agenda. “Senator Landon Pearson has been the driving force behind this critical document”, says Sandra Griffin, Chair of the Canadian Coalition on the Rights of Children. “Her leadership has made a significant contribution to children’s rights in Canada and to our continuing international role that began in 1990 at the World Summit on Children”.

“A Canada Fit for Children” articulates strong principles that not only protect the fundamental human rights of children, but also recognize an inclusive vision for a world where every child in Canada can reach their potential and can participate fully in their society. The Canadian Coalition on the Rights of Children and the National Children’s Alliance look forward to the immediate next steps that will bring to life the responsibilities of governments identified by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, in their Concluding Observations on Canada’s report, for “a set of time-bound and measurable goals and targets”, as well as “national monitoring and evaluation systems to assess the impact of our actions on children”.

“With the upcoming federal election, we are anticipating a renewed commitment to the National Children’s Agenda that places priority on a deepened social investment for children and youth; this should be done within a Canada Social Transfer that reflects the principles and values that Canadians hold for their social programs”, says Dianne Bascombe, Executive Director of the National Children’s Alliance. “A Canada Fit for Children can only become reality when we have time-bound and measurable goals and targets, with strong public accountability, assured through support for third-party monitoring”.

The release of “A Canada Fit for Children” today brings a new hope that children and youth will become the centre of public policy and legislation. It challenges all levels of government and the community to work together to chart the course with defined goals and targets so that every child in Canada reaches their potential. The voluntary/NGO sector is ready to take up its role in accountability by working collectively to monitor how we are doing in Canada to support children, youth and their families. We call on the federal government today to put children at the top of the agenda – Canadians have been clear that this is their priority.

As the young participants at the UN Special Session told the adult world leaders, “ A world fit for us is a world for everyone”. We all agree that a Canada fit for children is a Canada fit for all of us.