The United Nations committee on the rights of the child says it has serious concerns about the welfare of Indigenous children in Canada.
The committee, which reviewed Canada’s progress on implementing the UN convention on the rights of the child, says urgent action is needed on discrimination, independent monitoring, abuse and neglect, and standards of living.
Many of the recommendations relate specifically to discrimination against Indigenous and Black Canadian children living at home and in alternative arrangements like foster care.
Several of the recommendations were initially made by the committee in its last report about a decade ago, but have not been acted on.
Children First Canada founder Sara Austin says the report points out Canada’s failure to implement basic rights for all eight million children in the country.
Family, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould was not immediately available for comment.
—Laura Osman, The Canadian Press
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