On November 21, 2024, nearly 130 people gathered at the National Archives of Montreal to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the International Bureau for Children’s Rights.
This event was highlighted by three key moments:
The evening began with a time to proudly look back on the past 30 years and express gratitude to those who contributed to the Bureau’s mission. Speeches by Mrs. Martine Musau Muele (President of the Municipal Council and City Councillor of Montreal for the Villeray district), Mrs. Leslie E. Norton (Assistant Deputy Minister at Global Affairs Canada, responsible for partnerships and international aid programming), Mrs. Najat Maalla M’jid (Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence Against Children), Mrs. Annick Murphy (Interim Chair of the Bureau’s Board of Directors), and Mr. Martin Causin (Executive Director of the Bureau) provided reflections on the positive impact of the Bureau’s initiatives and the challenges that remain to make children’s rights a reality.
Speech by our Executive director, Martin Causin
The evening also offered an opportunity to rediscover the International Bureau for Children’s Rights. True to our values, the event featured several interactive booths led by our team, which provided immersive experiences showcasing different aspects of our work. These exhibits sparked numerous meaningful and constructive exchanges among attendees, partners, and Bureau members.
Finally, the event served as a platform for networking and envisioning the future together! By building on past successes while addressing ongoing challenges, the evening fostered collective energy, idea-sharing, and the enrichment of collaborative efforts in support of children’s rights.
Beyond the celebration on November 21, the Bureau’s 30th anniversary also marked an opportunity to refine our identity and reaffirm our mission. The path is clear: we focus on children who face greater obstacles to realizing their rights, ensuring they have a place in our societies, access to protection that promotes their well-being, and justice that is adapted to and respectful of their rights. We do this tirelessly, with our hallmark approach of empowering children and the stakeholders in their environments to transform rights into tangible, everyday actions.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to or participated in this memorable evening, which stands as a significant milestone in the history of the International Bureau for Children’s Rights.
Watch the timeline of the Bureau
Relive the event through images:
Project funded by Global Affairs Canada
