FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 19, 1998

EDMONTON – The Alberta Federation of Labour is launching a province-wide petition campaign aimed convincing the provincial government to adopt the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Convention was passed by the UN in 1989 and has since been endorsed by the federal government and nine provincial governments. The document talks about the importance of providing children with things like high-quality education, decent nutrition and adequate housing. It also condemns the practice of coerced child labour.

"It’s an embarrassment that the Alberta government has refused to support this important document," says AFL president Audrey Cormack. "The Convention simply reminds us that children can only grow to their full potential if they receive the whole-hearted support of their families and their communities. We can’t understand why the Alberta government has been so reluctant to support these goals."

The AFL is launching its petition campaign on November 20 to coincide with National Child Day. The federal government has designated today as National Child Day to commemorate the UN’s adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1959 and the passage of the more detailed Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1989.

"We are encouraging the Alberta government to follow the lead of other governments in this country and publicly endorse the ideas and goals outlined in the Convention," says Cormack. "We see this as an important first step towards protecting the interests of children here in Alberta and around the world."

Cormack says that by signing the Convention, the Alberta government would accomplish two things. First, it would send a strong message that Albertans condemn the exploitation of child workers in countries around the world. Second, it would stand as a commitment from the government to protect and promote the interests of children here at home.

"Of course, signing the document would just be the first step," says Cormack. "It would have to be followed by concrete measures aimed at eradicating child poverty and improving services for children and families throughout the province."

The petition is just one part of the AFL’s on-going "Codes of Conduct" campaign which aims to increase public awareness about the exploitation of child workers both in developed and developing countries.

The AFL will circulate the petition in communities around the province with the help of Free the Children, a Canadian group that has played a leading role in the international fight against child labour.

For more information call:
Audrey Cormack, President: 483-3021