Young people aren't waiting. They're leading.
In 1989, world leaders made a historic commitment to the world’s children by adopting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – an international agreement on the fundamental rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities. Every year on November 20, Canada celebrates National Child Day to mark this historic moment for child rights.
This National Child Day is the 35th anniversary of the CRC. The world’s most widely ratified treaty, which Canada also signed and ratified, the CRC outlines the government’s responsibilities with respect to promoting, protecting, and fulfill children’s rights.
Despite promising progress led by the adoption of the Convention, millions of children continue to suffer violations of their rights when they are denied adequate healthcare, nutrition, education and protection from violence. Today, childhoods across the world continue to be threatened by global challenges like the rise of conflict, climate change and rising cost of living.
UNICEF estimates that over 200 million children in 133 countries require humanitarian assistance in 2026.. Global cuts to aid and crises in places like Gaza and Sudan are making it even harder for children to access the support they need most.
Children in Canada are also facing challenges. According to UNICEF’s Report Card 20, Canada currently ranks 22nd out of 37 peer countries on child well-being. One in five children in Canada live in poverty and child mortality is rising. At the current rate, an estimated one in every thousand
five-year-olds in Canada will not reach their 15th birthday.
There’s no article in The Convention on the Rights of the Child that says children should wait for their turn. Every child is born with equal rights to safety, education, health, belonging, and a say in decisions that shape their lives. We worked with young people to develop a child-friendly version of the CRC and designed it as a poster, deck of cards, and booklet you can download, share, and use in classrooms, community spaces, and at home.
Applications for UNICEF Canada’s Youth Advocacy Program officially open on November 20, 2026.Our 10-month online program is designed to help young people (ages 13-24) in Canada learn the skills and knowledge needed to become powerful advocates for issues they care about. Applications are open until 11:59pm EST on Dec 17.
Created by UNICEF Canada’s Youth Advocacy Program participants from across Canada, the Reimagine Playbook 2026 is a youth-led roadmap for action. It offers practical recommendations on children's rights, gender equality, youth mental health, education and social justice, while using issues like artificial intelligence and online safety as a lens to explore the future young people want to help build.
