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- CIDA Sites
- International Treaties and Agreements
- Government of Canada
- Children's Rights
- Child Protection-General
- Sites for Youth
- Child Participation
- War-affected Children
- Child Labour
- Sexual Exploitation
- Child Trafficking
- Street Children
- HIV/AIDS
CIDA Sites
- Child Protection Research Fund
- Education
- Health
- HIV/AIDS
- Governance
- Policy Suite
- Programs
- Youth Zone
International Treaties and Agreements
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. It spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere-without discrimination-have. This UNICEF site explains the progress and status of the Convention and discusses current issues. It also provides links to other sites.
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (2000)
This site details the Optional Protocol adopted by the UN General Assembly on May 25, 2000.
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts (2000)
This site details the Optional Protocol adopted by the UN General Assembly resolution on May 25, 2000.
Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999)
This convention was adopted on June 17, 1999, by the International Labour Organization.
A World Fit for Children (2002)
In May 2002, at the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children, the nations of the world committed themselves to improving the situation of children and young people. The result was a series of time-bound goals for governments and a basic framework for getting there, published in A World Fit for Children.
World Declaration and Plan of Action from the World Summit for Children (1990)
In 1990, world leaders assembled at the United Nations to undertake a joint commitment and to make an urgent universal appeal: to give every child a better future.
Government of Canada
A Canada Fit for Children
A Canada Fit for Children (2004) is the Government of Canada's action plan for children in Canada and around the world, in response to the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children.
National Report -- Canada: Ten-Year Review of the World Summit for Children
This Government of Canada report, published in 2002, was sent to the UN in preparation for the Special Session on Children of the UN General Assembly. It describes the progress made by Canada in achieving the goals set out at the World Summit for Children in 1990.
Canada's National Child Day Website
November 20, National Child Day, marks the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations. Find out how you can celebrate!
Division of Childhood and Adolescence - Health Canada
The Childhood and Youth Division of Health Canada serves as a centre of expertise, leadership, and coordination within the federal government and Health Canada for issues, activities, and programs concerning children and youth.
National Clearing House of Family Violence
This is a national resource centre for all Canadians who are seeking information about violence within the family and looking for resources addressing the issue.
Children's Rights
Committee on the Rights of the Child
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is the body of independent experts that monitors the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by its State parties. The site contains information on the CRC, the committee, recent developments, and related links.
Child Rights Information Network's Human Rights-Based Approaches to Programming
A comprehensive site on human-rights approaches to working with children, it includes a guide to rights-based programming, key publications on the topic, and resources on child-rights themes including budgets, education, emergencies, gender, HIV/AIDS, monitoring and evaluation, participation, and water.
Children's House in Cyberspace
The Children's House in Cyberspace is an interactive resource centre that serves as a hub for international organizations working for children's well-being. Key topics include early childhood, non-governmental organizations, child health, children's rights, child research, learning, conferences, training, information resources, and news.
University College of Cape Breton-Children's Rights Centre
Home of the Child Rights Centre of the University College of Cape Breton, the site contains information on the centre's activities, which focus non-exclusively on Canadian children's rights, developing rights-based education curricula and materials, and reviewing child-related legislation. The centre produces reports on the progress of Nova Scotia (and Canada) in ensuring children's rights. It also includes poems about rights written by children.
International Institute for the Rights of the Child
Home of the International Institute on the Rights of the Child in Sion, Switzerland, the site contains information on topics ranging from international events to child protection-related educational opportunities.
Save the Children Sweden-Free PDF-based Bookshop
Available here for downloading are free documents on the rights of the child, children and economics, child labour, child development, children with disability, child abuse, children in war, and other topics.
Child Protection-General
UNICEF Child Protection
The UNICEF child protection website contains press releases, general resources, publications, statistics, resources for parliamentarians, and fact sheets on child protection, child soldiers, sexual exploitation, armed conflict, female genital mutilation, trafficking, and violence.
UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre
The UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, formally known as the International Child Development Centre, works to strengthen the capacity of UNICEF and cooperating institutions to respond to the evolving needs of children and to develop a new global ethic for children. It promotes the effective implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, contracts child-focused research, and functions as an information hub. The site includes numerous reports on issues such as trafficking and indigenous children.
Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
The Child Rights Information Network is a global network that disseminates information about child rights among non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations, educational institutions, and other experts.
Human Rights Watch-Children's Rights
The children's rights website of Human Rights Watch contains facts on child soldiers, refugees, child labour, orphans, juvenile justice, violence and discrimination in schools, as well as country-by-country reports on children.
Human Rights Internet (HRI)
Human Rights Internet provides information on issues such as child rights, child exploitation, war-affected children, child labour, health and welfare for children, refugee children, and street children. The site links to the HRI Youth Center.
UN Study on Violence Against Children
In February 2003, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan commissioned a global study on violence against children. The purpose of the study is to provide an in-depth picture of violence against children and to propose recommendations for the improvement of legislation, policy, and programming. It will consider physical and mental violence, neglect, abuse, maltreatment and exploitation of children, with attention to issues such as sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Childwatch International Research Network
The Childwatch International Research Network is a non-profit, non-governmental network for institutions and individuals involved in research for children. It aims to initiate and coordinate research and information projects on children's living conditions and the implementation of children's rights.
Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children
The Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children is an organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of children's rights in Canada and abroad. This site provides information and reports on children's rights, as well as a newsletter and quiz.
Sites for Youth
CIDA's Youth Zone
Here you will find articles on child-protection issues, an interview with Lt.-Gen. (Ret) Romeo A. Dallaire, Special Advisor on War-Affected Children, and information on how youth can get involved.
UNICEF Voices of Youth
This interactive website allows youth to inform themselves on world issues such as development and terrorism. It contains real-life stories and strategies for action. The discussion format allows engaged youth to meet their counterparts from around the world and to discuss important issues.
Say It Right! The Unconventional Canadian Youth Edition of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
This youth-friendly site breaks down the language of the Convention. The site is maintained by the Youth Participation Committee of the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children.
No War Zone
No War Zone, sponsored by War Child, is a forum for discussion and action. It provides the opportunity for young people to connect with their peers around the world, build sustainable projects together, and share their creativity. There is also a teachers' corner with curriculum ideas.
Human Rights Internet Youth Centre
This youth-focused site contains interactive activities for teaching Canadian children about their rights. The site maintains a library of rights-focused publications, many designed for use by teachers.
Interactive World Map of Children and Armed Conflict
Move your mouse over the world map and find out how many child soldiers a country has, if they conscript youth into the army, and if they have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols.
National Report- Canada 10 Year Review of the World Summit for Children - Youth Friendly
This is the youth version of the 2002 Government of Canada report that was sent to the United Nations in preparation for the Special Session on Children of the UN General Assembly. It describes the progress made by Canada in achieving the goals set out at the World Summit for Children in 1990.
Youth Companion to the Machel Review
The online Youth Companion to the Machel Review has a web-based summary of each chapter from the report entitled the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children
Child Participation
Children as Partners
This CIDA-funded site, managed by the University of Victoria's Institute for Child Rights and Development, contains participation-related resources and publications. The site also maintains web links, child-friendly resources, discussion panels, and updates on upcoming events. Many of the available publications are designed as policy tools.
War-affected Children
LGen The Honorable Roméo Dallaire
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts
This site details the Optional Protocol adopted by the United Nations General Assembly resolution on May 25, 2000.
Impact of Armed Conflict on Children-the Graça Machel Report
This report was submitted to the United Nations General Assembly in 1996 and is the result of two years of research and consultation undertaken by Graça Machel, the Secretary-General's expert on the subject and a former Minister for Education in Mozambique.
Youth Companion to the Machel Review
The online Youth Companion to the Machel Review has a web-based summary of each chapter from the report entitled the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children
United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
This site highlights the Special Representative's work in specific countries. There is information on child soldiers, small arms, displaced children, and other issues. An alphabetized virtual library offers access to many documents, and the Youth zone profiles initiatives to help young people become peacemakers.
UN Refugee Agency
This site details the complex issues facing children displaced by conflict. It includes articles and key links.
Canadian Peacebuilding Coordinating Committee-Children and Armed Conflict Working Group
This website includes information on the principles, priorities, and activities of the working group, as well as numerous resources and links.
Survey of Canadian Programming, Advocacy and Research on Children and Armed Conflict
Published by the Canadian Peacebuilding Coordination Committee's Children and Armed Conflict Working Group in September 2004, this is an updated version of the 1999 CIDA-commissioned survey by Chris Lowry.
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
A coalition of national, regional, and international organizations and networks, its activities include research and monitoring, advocacy and public education, and networking and capacity building. The site includes global reports, comprehensive research reports and briefings, and thematic research on child soldiering and sexual exploitation, displacement, gender equality, juvenile justice, and reintegration.
The Watchlist
The Watchlist compiles information provided by non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, child rights experts, and others, and publishes reports that provide a comprehensive picture of children's rights violations in specific armed conflicts.
University of Alberta-Children and Armed Conflict Project
Part of the University of Alberta's Children and Armed Conflict: Impact, Protection and Rehabilitation Research Project, the site contains information about the project, research findings, and the Children and War: Impact Conference Report (2004).
University of Essex-Children and Armed Conflict Unit
The Children and Armed Conflict Unit is a joint project of the Children's Legal Centre and the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex. The site is a resource for country-specific information on children affected by armed conflict, and contains case-specific news stories on how children are affected by war.
Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children
The Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children is a New York-based organization that works to improve the lives of refugee and internally displaced women and children. The site contains pages and reports focusing on children and adolescents affected by armed conflict.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
The ICRC has news and documents related to the protection of children in war, and describes the organization's position and activities.
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
This website includes links to key UN documents on children affected by armed conflict.
Child Labour
Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour
This convention was adopted on June 17, 1999, by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Understanding Child Work
This is the website of Understanding Child Work, a UNICEF-ILO-World Bank research cooperation project on child labour. It contains information stemming from project activities, including child labour data sets, country statistics, a project database, reports and analyses, and other child labour research materials, as well as project progress reports.
The Concerned for Working Children
The Concerned for Working Children, an Indian non-governmental organization, works to support the cause of working children through child-centred programming. The site contains pages on research, interventions, and information about the position of Bhima Sangha, which is an Indian independent association of working children, and the International Movement of Working Children.
Child Workers in Asia
CWA is a network of over seventy eight organisations and child workers' groups who are at the heart of actions against child labour exploitation in Asia.
Sexual Exploitation
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (2000)
This site details the Optional Protocol adopted by the UN General Assembly on May 25, 2000.
End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT)
ECPAT is a global network of organizations and individuals working together for the elimination of child prostitution and pornography. The site contains good-practice reports, databases, and many other useful resources.
Child Trafficking
Child Trafficking Research Hub
A digital library, the research hub contains literature on child trafficking, the laws and regulations that combat the practice, and related topics, including sexual exploitation of youth and HIV/AIDS. Under the discussion link, the site follows the development of global discourse on child trafficking. The site contains many policy-relevant case studies on rehabilitation and reintegration practices.
UNICEF UK's End Child Exploitation Campaign
This campaign focuses on child trafficking, child labour and sexual exploitation. The website also includes UNICEF UK's latest report, Stop the Traffic! as well as many other policy and research relevant publications. Visit the site and watch Robbie Williams' short film, More Precious than Gold, on child trafficking and exploitation.
Street Children
PANGAEA Street Children Worldwide Resource Library
PANGAEA Street Children Worldwide Resource Library includes a collection of articles from countries throughout the world, an extensive list of organizations working with street children, and links to other worldwide resources.
Streetkids-SHR
This is a website on HIV/AIDS prevention and sexual health for street-involved children and children living in slums worldwide. It includes details of an extensive research and intervention program for street and slum children in India.
Street Children
Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development
This site includes fact sheets on HIV/AIDS and children's rights, HIV/AIDS and youth, HIV/AIDS and policies affecting children, best practices for the care of AIDS orphans, an annotated bibliography on children, and families affected by HIV/AIDS.
UNICEF - HIV/AIDS
This site includes key documents such as The Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV and AIDS. (pdf version, 337 kb, 23 pages)
World Bank Group - HIV/AIDS
This site includes World Bank publications such as Reaching out to Africa's Orphans: A Framework for Public Action, Education and HIV/AIDS: A Sourcebook, as well as links to other relevant sites.
- International AIDS Society
- XVI International AIDS Conference 2006
- XVII International AIDS Conference 2008
- International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)
Note: If you cannot access the documents that are provided in an alternate format, refer to the Help page.
