On August 2, CBA Alberta and the Alberta Child & Youth Law Sections sent a letter to Premier Danielle Smith and other provincial government and opposition representatives, calling on the government to create a detailed action plan to implement the obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and to review the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, released in June.
In terms of matters within Alberta's jurisdiction, the UN committee recommended that the province work with the federal government to:
- ensure Indigenous communities in Alberta receive the resources they need to support children's health and well-being;
- ensuring the education, health care, child protection, community services and justice systems support and empower all children, including Black and Indigenous children, children from minority communities, children in care and children with disabilities;
- fully implement the Calls to Action made by the Truth & Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry on Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls;
- implement the Child Rights Impact Assessments;
- provide support for a complaint mechanism under the UNCRC;
- engage in awareness training and provide mandatory training on the rights of the child under the Convention to all professionals working with and for children; and
- improve data collection about the status and needs of children within the province.
CBA Alberta and the Alberta Child & Youth Law Sections welcome the opportunity to meet with government representatives to discuss how we can help the province achieve these goals.
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