More about National Child Day

A Canada Fit for Children, Canada's national plan of action for children, was released in May 2004. A Canada Fit for Children contains a declaration of Canada's commitment to children, a Canadian vision for children that highlights Canadian governments' strong agenda for children, and a plan of action that reflects a consensus on goals, strategies and opportunities for action on key priorities within four central themes: supporting families and strengthening communities; promoting healthy lives; protecting from harm; and promoting education and learning.

A Canada Fit for Children has been developed with Canadians from every sector of society and all levels of government, as well as children. It reflects what Canadians told us were the key issues affecting children and suggests opportunities for action that can be taken to improve the lives of children in Canada and in the world. It also signals emerging issues and identifies ways to promote and protect children's rights, including greater public awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

A Canada Fit for Children was developed in response to A World Fit for Children, which came out of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children. In May 2002, more than 7,000 people from around the world gathered in New York to take part in the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children, the most important international conference on children in more than ten years. The Special Session on Children reviewed progress since the World Summit for Children in 1990, identified barriers and emerging issues; and committed the international community to the world's children for the coming decade.  At the conclusion of the Special Session on Children, the General Assembly adopted by resolution, A World Fit for Children, a declaration and plan of action.

Celebrating National Child Day is about celebrating children as actors in their own lives and in communities, as active citizens who can and should meaningfully contribute to decision-making as we create a Canada fit for children.

• UN Special Session video footage

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A Canada Fit for Children	HTML
Canada 's plan of action in response to the May 2002 - United Nations Special Session on Children.
A World Fit For Children	HTML
The new agenda for - and with - the world's children, including 21 specific goals and targets for the next decade. More than two years of consensus-building resulted in a strong future agenda focused on four key priorities: promoting healthy lives; providing quality education for all; protecting children against abuse, exploitation and violence; and combating HIV/AIDS.
A World Fit for Us	HTML / PDF
This message from the Children's Forum, was delivered to the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children by child delegates, Gabriela Azurduy Arrieta, 13, from Bolivia and Audrey Cheynut, 17, from Monaco on May 8, 2002.
Your Voice Matters	HTML / PDF
Your Voice Matters: Young People Speak out on Issues related to the UN Special Session on Children In Nov. 2000, Health Canada developed an interactive website to provide children and adolescents with an opportunity to express their views about their priorities and thoughts on issues related to the United Nations Special Session on Children. The results of the Health Canada National Child Day initiative are presented in this report.
Say It Right	HTML
The Unconventional Canadian Youth Edition of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. "We have the right to be listened to.... Our friends, family, teachers and governments can all help us exercise our rights better in many situations. We need to let them know when they are helping us, and if they aren't, what they can do differently. So let them hear you SAY IT RIGHT! "
Convention on the Rights of the Child	HTML
The human rights of children and the ways governments can make them happen are most clearly described in one international human rights treaty: the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.