Statement by Premier King on National Child Day

Hon. Dennis King, Premier of Prince Edward Island issued the following statement today to mark National Child Day:

“Today we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of National Child Day in Canada – a day to honour our country’s commitment to upholding the rights of children which are guided by two historic events: the 1959 signing of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.  

Canada became a signatory to the Convention in 1991 making a commitment  to recognize and advance the rights of children. As part of that commitment, in 2019 our government created the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, joining with other provinces and territories to advance child rights through independent advocacy.  The creation of this office has contributed to better policy, better decision-making, and more focus on the rights of children and youth in Prince Edward Island.  

Recently, through months of collaborative work with the Child and Youth Advocate and other stakeholders, our government began debate on the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, a piece of legislation that, at it’s core, recognizes the rights of children and the best interests of the  child as the most important consideration in decisions made under this act.  

Although we’ve made tremendous strides forward in the last number of years, we know we still have work to do. As a government, we are continuing to advance the work of upholding the rights of children and youth. This includes exploring the appropriate way to utilize the Children Rights Impact Assessment throughout government. Also, through the International Human Rights Coordination Network (IHRN), a committee made up of representatives from  government departments, will further examine the knowledge and capacity to implement the international rights obligations related to the province.

I want to thank all those who have worked, and continue to work, on advancing the rights of children and youth in our province, all those who work directly with children and youth each and everyday, and every advocate who continues to support those who don’t always have a voice to advocate for themselves.”

Media contact:
Adam Ross
Office of the Premier
adamross@gov.pe.ca