Canada's Second Report on the Convention on the Rights of the Child

franÃ§ais

Table of Contents

Introduction

PART I : Measures adopted by the Government of Canada

PART II : Measures adopted by Governments of the Provinces

PART III : Measures adopted by Governments of the Territories

PART IV : Annexes

PART V : Tables

Table 1: Number of children in Canada, 1921-1996
Table 2: Youth aged 15-17 and total children under age 18, 1971-1996
Table 3: Immigrant children, 1975-1995
Table 4: Region of birth of children immigrating to Canada, 1995
Table 5: Immigrant refugee children, 1992-1995
Table 6: Children among visible minority populations, 1996
Table 7: Living arrangements of children under age 15 and youth aged 15-17, 1991 and 1996
Table 8: Dependent children involved in divorces, by party obtaining custody, 1978-1995
Table 9: Missing children, by cause of disappearance, 1996
Table 10: Employment Rates of Mothers by age of youngest child, 1981-1997
Table 11: Day care spaces, by type, 1971-1996
Table 12: Maternity absences from work, 1980-1997
Table 13: Infant mortality, 1960-1996
Table 14: Causes of infant deaths by sex, 1996
Table 15: Causes of deaths of children aged 1-14, 1996
Table 16: Children with AIDS, 1997
Table 17: Incidence of low income, 1981-1996
Table 18: Selected education indicators, 1971-72 to 1995-96
Table 19: Television viewing by children, 1985-1995
Table 20: Youths charged by type of offence (1992-1996)
Table 21: Average number of young offenders in custody per day, 1992-93 to 1996-97
Table 22: Selected Indicators for Registered Indian Population on Reserve
Table 23: Suicides
Table 24: Summary Total Child Tax Benefits Paid 1994/95 - 1996/97
Table 25: Total Child Tax Benefits Paid 1994/95 - 1996/97
Table 26: Firearms Homicides, 1974 - 1996
Table 27: Deaths from Firearms by Age

Introduction

Canada ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child on December 13, 1991. This document constitutes the second report submitted by Canada under the terms of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The document covers, in the main, the period of January 1993 to December 1997. Occasional exceptions to the review period do occur and are identified.
Canada is a federal state comprised of ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan) and two territories⁽¹⁾ (Northwest Territories and Yukon). While the ratification of international treaties is the prerogative of the Government of Canada, implementation of the treaties requires the active participation of the governments which have jurisdiction over the subject matters covered. In Canada, the responsibility for areas covered by the Convention on the Rights of the Child is shared by the Government of Canada, the provincial governments and, following a delegation of authority by the Parliament of Canada, the territorial governments.
The present report contains information on measures adopted by the Government of Canada and the provincial and territorial governments within the stated period.
Throughout the report, references to Aboriginal children include children with Indian status under the Indian Act, non-status Indian children, and MÃ©tis and Inuit children. The phrase "Aboriginal children" is used rather than "indigenous children", because the Constitution of Canada refers to the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.
Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for human rights, and their officials, maintain ongoing liaison and information exchanges with respect to the implementation of international human rights instruments, including the Convention, through a mechanism known as the (federal-provincial-territorial) Continuing Committee of Officials on Human Rights.
As with other human rights instruments, the Continuing Committee will keep provincial and territorial governments apprised of any comments that the Committee on the Rights of the Child may make on the scope of the rights guaranteed by the present Convention.

1. A third territory, Nunavut, came into existence on April 1, 1999.