The Special Commission on Children’s Rights and Youth Protection, known as the “Laurent Commission”, has just unveiled its final report, after several months of analysis and hearings with various child protection actors in Quebec.
The International Bureau for Children’s Rights welcomes the work done by the Laurent Commission and its proposed “recommendations”. We find in them an echo of several of the proposals we made at last year’s hearing, particularly with regard to the creation of a charter of children’s rights, the creation of a position of Commissioner for Children’s Welfare and Rights, and the emphasis on prevention of violence against children.
We also underline the importance placed in the report on giving children a voice, listening to them better, and placing them at the heart of the protection process.
However, we will need to be vigilant about how this call for change is interpreted to ensure that the whole system is reformed and that it is accountable to those we are trying to protect.