Opinion: time to put the principles of children’s rights into practice

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Children have the right to a healthy environment, to education and to be raised in a society free from discrimination. They also have the right to be consulted and heard.

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So, as children face present and future threats to their well-being from the COVID-19 pandemic, social inequities and climate change, Canada’s National Children’s Day, observed on Saturday, November 20, is a reminder of the need for concrete steps towards ensuring that these rights, enshrined in both international and national laws are respected. All levels of government have a duty to fulfill the rights of the child. , listen to the voices of children and young people, involve them in decision-making and take their best interests into account.

Certainly, the pandemic has affected young people: their physical and mental health, their social life, job opportunities and hopes for the future. The specter of climate change adds to its burden. Still, recent studies indicate that young people remain enthusiastic about voicing their concerns, in the hope that doing so will make a difference. They yearn to be taken seriously and to participate in decision making. These findings are consistent with previous studies that highlighted how youth participation increases not only youth well-being, engagement, development, and resilience, but is also beneficial to the wider community.

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We have learned in the last two years that for Quebec to prosper and recover from the crisis, we need everyone to be “on board.” Why not invest in the future of Quebec by involving young people in planning tomorrow’s society?

The voices of the young have been loud and clear: they want change on many fronts. They are active in the streets and on social media calling for a greener, fairer and more inclusive world, through social movements such as Fridays for Future, Indigenous Rights, Black Lives Matter and #metoo.

More than 400 young people from Quebec recently participated in the Institut du Nouveau Monde’s Rêver pour créer (Dream to Create) initiative. It sought to define the visions that should guide us in the next 20 years, visions where social justice and a clean environment occupy a prominent place. Teens and tweens said they longed for a Quebec that is more open to differences and protects future generations from climate change; one without racism, homophobia or other discrimination; where there is equal opportunity and less violence. Young Quebecers care about turtles in the sea, forests and cleaner water. They want a world where children can breathe easily. They want respect, solidarity and action, not a return to “normalcy.”

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Some may think that young people are not yet mature enough to participate in decision-making with adults. However, research shows that they can learn to make informed decisions if they have the opportunity to do so and are supported in the process.

Canada often presents itself as a proud leader in children’s rights. It ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991, 30 years ago, which establishes that children have the right to participate in decisions that affect them and have the right to be heard (Article 12). The Canadian and Quebec bills of rights, the Quebec Civil Code, and the Quebec Youth Protection Act state that children have the right to be informed, consulted and heard. And the recent Laurent Commission report on the protection of young people emphasized the need for Quebec adopt a charter of children’s rights and prioritize children’s participation.

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These principles must be put into practice. It is essential that we live up to these core social values ​​and partner with children and youth to address today’s crises and work to mitigate those of tomorrow.

Geneviève Grégoire-Labrecque is a public fellow and PhD candidate in the Department of Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University. He is also a member of the Child Rights Academic Network and the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children.