OTTAWA — As the world celebrates the 20th anniversary of the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the University of Ottawa is hosting a leading-edge international conference on child rights that will examine contemporary issues and struggles affecting children worldwide.

The conference, which runs from November 18 to 20 at uOttawa, brings together more than 200 researchers, academics, government officials and practitioners from around the world to discuss the underlying principles of the CRC, as well as the importance of children’s participation in areas such as health and education.

“To meet the basic needs of every child and to see all of them reach their full potential are among the most pressing issues in the world today” said Allan Rock, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Ottawa. “This forum is a significant opportunity to reinforce the crucial role our children have in shaping the world of tomorrow.”

The three-day conference includes the following events:

Symposium on Children’s Participation Rights and Research (November 18)
The conference begins on November 18th with a half-day symposium organized by the University of Ottawa’s Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory on the Rights of the Child (IRLRC). The symposium will closely examine one of the CRC's principles, children’s participation, with a view to drawing lessons from children’s participation for research on children’s rights.

Child Rights and the International Community (November 19)
The second day of the conference explores the principles outlined in the Convention of the Rights of the Child in an international context.

Canada’s Report Card on Child Rights (November 20)
The final day of the conference provides the opportunity to discuss Canada’s own efforts in implementing the principles of the CRC and to identify measures for narrowing existing gaps.

Every Child Is Sacred Youth Forum (November 20)
The Every Child Is Sacred’s Youth Forum on Ottawa as a Child Friendly City (UNICEF) also takes place during the last day of the conference, bringing together more than 70 young people to explore many of the urgent issues relating to child rights. Their deliberations will be highlighted in the final conference presentation, titled The Right to Be Heard.

The University of Ottawa is committed to research excellence and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation, which attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world.