Thirty years ago today, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In our capacity as Québec’s Ombudsman, our organization feels that respecting citizens’ rights is crucial. It therefore subscribes to the fundamental principle of this international convention: upholding the child’s best interests.
In this respect, the Protecteur du citoyen acts concretely. For example, it handled a complaint from a father whose child had severe hearing loss. The child had to see a speech therapist every week, but there was lack of compliance with the prescribed frequency of the appointments. This had an adverse effect on the child’s development. The Protecteur du citoyen intervened so that the situation never recurred.
Our institution belongs to the Association des Ombudsmans et Médiateurs de la Francophonie (AOMF). Because it pays particular attention to this cause, AOMF created a children’s rights committee. Last October, it also organized a joint conference in Rabat, Morocco. The event brought together AOMF members, including the Ombudsperson, and others from the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF). The participants shared ideas about various themes related to children’s rights. The meeting culminated in the Rabat Declaration.
To learn more about AOMF’s involvement in children’s rights, visit the Association’s website (in French).
You can also consult the Convention on the website of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
