Sheila Sullivan, c.n.d. Treasurer

Auditor:Rocheleau Labranche and AssociatesChartered Accountants

Financial statements2006-2007The budget of the International Bureau for Children’s Rightsfor the period 2006-2007 was CAD 815,066 $. The surplusof expenditures over revenues as of 31 March 2007 wasCAD 77,193 $.

Revenues and expenses

Note: The Financial Statements andAuditors’Reports can be obtained fromthe International Bureau for Children’sRights.

12

Revenues April 1st 2006 to March 31st 2007

During the period 2006-2007, activities were madepossible through privatecontributions (32.7%),contributed services (56.5%)and government grants(10.8%), for a total revenueof CAD $737,813.

Sisters of the Order of St BenedictSociety of Sacred HeartSœurs de l’Assomption de

la Sainte ViergeSœurs de l’Enfant-Jésus de ChauffaillesSœurs de la Charité, OttawaSœurs de la Charité, QuébecSœurs de la Charité de Saint-Louis,

MontréalSœurs de la Congrégation

Notre-Dame, MontréalSœurs de la Miséricorde, MontréalSœurs de la Présentation de MarieSœurs de la Providence, MontréalSœurs de Notre-Dame AuxiliatriceSœurs de Notre-Dame du Bon-ConseilSœurs de Notre-Dame du Saint-RosaireSœurs de Sainte-AnneSœurs de Sainte-CroixSœurs de Saint-François d’Assise,

CharlesbourgSœurs de Saint-François d’Assise,

MontréalSœurs de Saint-Joseph, HamiltonSœurs de Saint-Joseph, PeterboroughSœurs de Saint-Joseph, Saint-HyacintheSœurs de Saint-Joseph, Saint-VallierSœurs de Saint-Joseph, Sault Ste-MarieSœurs de Saint-Joseph, TorontoSœurs des Saints Noms de Jésus

et de Marie, LongueuilSœurs des Saints Noms de Jésus

et de Marie, WinnipegSœurs du Bon Pasteur, QuébecSœurs du SauveurSœurs Franciscaines Missionnaires

de l’Immaculée-ConceptionSœurs Grises, MontréalSœurs Hospitalières de Saint-JosephSœurs Missionnaires de

Notre-Dame-des-AngesSœurs Ursulines, BrunoSœurs Ursulines, LorettevilleSœurs Ursulines, QuébecSûreté du QuébecUNICEF AlgeriaUNICEF MoroccoUNICEF QuébecUNICEF TunisiaVia Rail Canada

Individual Donors

Louise CôtéJean De SèveLouise GagnéDouglas McGurkJean-François NoëlLuc OuimetGaëtan Proulx

IBCR wishes to thank the numerousprofessionals, interns and studentswho graciously provide their timeand services. Thanks to them, andto the IBCR’s simple and efficientorganization, administrative costsare kept to a minimum. Specialthanks also to the numerousindividuals who accepted to beinterviewed, who participated indiscussion groups or who shared withus their written comments in relationto one or more of our projects.

AcknowledgmentsThe work of the International Bureau for Children’s Rightsis made possible thanks to the generous contribution of thefollowing donors, partners and institutional collaborators:

Association des centres jeunessedu Québec

Canadian Council for RefugeesCanadian Peacebuilding

Coordinating CommitteeCentres jeunesse de Montréal –

Institut universitaireCentre international pour la

prévention de la criminalitéCongregation of the PresentationCity of MontrealDeSève Proulx CommunicationsDynaCharge Laser Inc.Filles de JésusFilles de la Charité de

Saint-Vincent-de-PaulFilles de la Sagesse du CanadaFilles de Marie-de-l’AssomptionFondation Émilie-JauronFondation nationale pour la Promotion

de la Santé et le Développementde la Recherche (Algérie)

Forum on Children and ArmedConflict, Canada

Government of Sweden –Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Government of Canada – CanadianInternational Development Agency

Government of Canada – PublicSafety Canada (Québec Division)

Government of Canada –Canada Border Services Agency

Government of Canada – Departmentof Justice

Government of Canada – Citizenshipand Immigration Canada

Government of Québec –Ministère de la Justice

Government of Québec –Ministère de l’Immigration etdes Communautés culturelles

Government of Québec – Ministère dela Santé et des Services sociaux

Government of Québec – Ministèrede la Sécurité publique

Grey Nuns Regional CenterInstitut de Notre-Dame du Bon ConseilInstitut des Filles Réparatrices

du Divin-CœurInstitut Jeanne d’ArcLes Œuvres Le RoyerMissionnaires Oblates de

Saint-BonifaceMoniales Carmélites DéchausséesNative Women’s Association of CanadaOblates Franciscaines de St-JosephObservatoire d’information, de

Formation, de Documentationet d’Étude pour la Protectiondes Droits de l’enfant (Tunisie)

Petites Franciscaines de MariePetites Sœurs de Sainte-FamilleProgramme régional d’accueil et d’in-

tégration des demandeurs d’asileRaoul Wallenberg Institute of Human

Rights and Humanitarian LawReligieuses de Jésus-MarieRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceSeparated Children Intervention

and Orientation NetworkServantes de Notre-Dame Reine

du ClergéServantes du Saint-Cœur de MarieService de Police de la Ville de

MontréalSisters of Charity of St-Louis, CalgarySisters of Charity of the Immaculate

ConceptionSisters of Mercy of NewfoundlandSisters of Our Lady of the MissionsSisters of Providence of

Saint-Vincent-de-Paul

ExpendituresApril 1st 2006 to March 31st 2007

Governance andadministrative expendituresamounted to CAD $76,817and CAD $738,189 wasinvested in programdevelopment. Totalexpenditures amountedto CAD $815,066.

Report 2006/2007International Bureau for Children’s Rights

Bureau international des droits des enfants

Oficina Internacional de los Derechos del Niño

2715, Chemin de la Côte-Ste-Catherine

Montréal, Québec

CANADA H3T 1B6

Tel: (514) 932 7656

Fax: (514) 932 9453

E-mail: info@ibcr.org

www.ibcr.org

56.5%Contributedservices 32.7%

Private contributions

10.8%Governmentgrants

9.4%Administrative

90.6%Program

BIDE Rap. annuel-06-07 AN 12/07/07 14:46 Page 1

Full Speed Ahead for the Bureau

Twelve years after being founded the Bureau has,without a doubt, reached its cruising speed or the leastwe can say is that it’s now smooth sailing.

Through the efforts of its Director and by followingthe guidelines set forth by its Board of Directors theBureau has managed to transform from a symbolicTribunal to a recognized international place of expertise.The guidelines developed by IBCR in favour of childrenwho are victims of and/or witnesses to criminal actshave, in large part, inspired the new standards adoptedby the United Nations on this matter. Moving forwardwe will now have to work on finalising the legislativeand other tools to contribute to the implementation ofthe Guidelines. The development of country profiles on

the analysis of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child isalso going ahead, particularly in North Africa and soon in other part of the world.Meanwhile, the Bureau in Canada continues to work for the protection of children.The Report from the Strategic Action Plan for the Protection of Victims of ChildTrafficking in Quebec is an excellent example of the IBCR’s implication in Canada.

This strong work ethic is also evident in the strength of the team structure. Ableto rely upon the support of the Canadian authorities and having the unconditionalsupport and respect of the religious communities, the Bureau’s management hasbeen very well established. The IBCR counts on invaluable team members withvast knowledge and expertise.

The patronage this year from Her Excellency the Right Honourable MichaëlleJean, Governor General of Canada is another consecration and without a doubta huge honour. The Board of Directors is absolutely delighted that Her ExcellencyMichaëlle Jean accepted the honorary presidency and would like to express theirgratitude once again.

Conditions are now perfect for future advancements into the promotion of therights of children worldwide.

We have to thank all those who have helped us reach this international level ofrecognition. I would particularly like to thank our Director, Mr. Jean-François Noël,his team of employees and interns as well as our directors for making it all possible.

With the upcoming inauguration of our new offices, another hurdle will soonbe overtcome. I have no doubt that the success of IBCR will continue in large partdue to it’s solid foundation. Our new offices will bring with them new horizons anda bright future for the Bureau.

.

Jean Pierre RosenczveigIBCR PresidentPresident of the Bobigny’s children tribunal (France)

2 3

Table ofcontents

The PresidentMessage from the President

International Bureaufor Children’s Rights

Board of directors 2005-2006

P R E S I D E N T

Jean-Pierre Rosenczveig

France

T R E A S U R E R

Sheila Sullivan, cnd

Canada

S E C R E T A R Y

Fabrice Benoît

Canada

V I C E - P R E S I D E N T – P R O G R A M M I N G

Nicholas C. Bala

Canada

V I C E - P R E S I D E N T – F U N D R A I S I N G ( C A N A D A )

Bernard Grenier

Canada

V I C E - P R E S I D E N T – F U N D R A I S I N G ( I N T E R N A T I O N A L )

Håkan Friman

Sweden

V I C E - P R E S I D E N T – U N L I A I S O N

Ambassadrice Moushira Khattab

Egypt

M E M B E R A T L A R G E

Mary-Anne Kirvan

Canada

M E M B E R A T L A R G E

Irvin Waller

Canada

2 A Message fromHer Excellency theRight HonourableMichaëlle Jean

3 A Message fromthe President

The Board of Directors2006-2007

4 A Message fromthe Director General

2006-2007 Team

5 Mission and Objectives

2006-2007 Highlights

6 IBCR and you…

7 2006-2007 Report

Child Victims andWitnesses of Crime

8 Child Trafficking andSexual Exploitationof Children

10 Country Profiles

12 Revenues and Expenses

Acknowledgements

ISBN 978-0-9738554-5-6

Visual concept and graphic design by DeSèveProulx Communications Inc.

The image featured on the cover of this reportis taken from a painting from artist MarieDenise Douyon, used by permission of theCommission des droits de la personne et desdroits de la jeunesse of Québec.

For a number of years now, members of theInternational Bureau for Children’s Rights (IBCR)have applied all their knowledge and expertise tohelp children fully enjoy all the rights they havebeen given.

I think one of today’s greatest tragedies is theabuse of children and young people. All over theworld—even in an egalitarian and progressivecountry like ours—society’s most vulnerablecitizens are not always protected from negligenceand violence. It is our duty to shelter them fromall forms of abuse. We need more dialogue betweenexperts and policy makers, and between youngpeople and those working to help them. There isno doubt in my mind that this situation is urgent.

The IBCR and its partners play a significantrole in improving the quality of life of children

and young people here in Canada and abroad. Their research in this area isinvaluable and helps shed light on the nature of a problem to which concretesolutions must be found. Through their efforts, they give hope to those mostin need and enable them to realize their dreams.

I would like to recognize the will and commitment of the women and men whowork tirelessly to stop all forms of violence against young people. They are truechampions and I am so proud of their accomplishments.

Michaëlle Jean2007

A Message from HerExcellency the Right HonourableMichaëlle Jean, Governor Generalof Canada and Patron of theInternational Bureau forChildren’s Rights (IBCR)

Governor General

BIDE Rap. annuel-06-07 AN 12/07/07 14:46 Page 3

5

Mission and objectivesThe International Bureau for Children’s Rights (IBCR) is an international non-governmental organization

which was established in 1994 at the initiative of Andrée Ruffo (Canada) and Bernard Kouchner(France). It is based in Montreal, Canada. Its primary mission is to promote and protect children’s rights inconformity with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its Optional Protocols, while takinginto account the targets set by the international community, such as the MDGs.

IBCR exists because…

… children are trafficked, including for the purpose of sexual exploitation

No country is excluded from this plague. Because of the clandestine nature of the phenomenon, fewreliable statistics are available. There is an evident lack of data and a poor understanding of the issuesand challenges associated with trafficking.

… children are victims and witnesses of crime

Millions of children throughout the world have suffered trauma as a result of crime and abuse ofpower. These children are young and vulnerable and require special protection.

… children are separated from their families

Separated children are removed from everything that they know and are accustomed to. Many sufferfrom emotional, education and economical deficiencies. They are particularly vulnerable to trafficking,sexual exploitation and forced labour.

In response to these challenges, IBCR intervenes so that the rights of these children remain at the centerof the preoccupations of both governmental and nongovernmental organizations. IBCR is convinced thatthere will be a positive impact on the implementation of the rights of children from sharing knowledge andgood practices as well as developing strategic partnerships.

From Austria to North Africa, 2006-2007 highlights …

On the 18th of April 2006, IBCR participated in the UN Expert Group Meeting on Criminal JusticeResponses to Violence against Children: Best Practices and Innovative Solutions.

From the 24th to the 28th of April 2006, IBCR took part in the Fifteenth Session of the United NationsCommission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, held in Vienna, Austria.

In July 2006, thanks to the financial support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA),IBCR published its first regional report on the status of the implementation of the Convention on the Rightsof the Child, titled: “Making Children’s Rights Work: Country Profiles on Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,Timor Leste and Viet Nam”.

In August 2006, IBCR took part in the World Society of Victimology’s 12th International Symposiumon Victimology, held in Orlando, Fl., USA.

During the Autumn of 2006, IBCR conducted a fact-finding mission to North Africa in support of thepreparation of country in the region.

On October 16th 2006, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canadaby agreeing to become IBCR’s Patron.

From November 27th to 29th of 2006, IBCR took part in the Intergovernmental Experts Group Meeting todevelop a questionnaire on UN standards and norms related primarily to victim issues, held in Vienna, Austria.

In February 2007, IBCR presented the results from the first part of the project Strategic Action Plan forthe Protection of Victims of Child Trafficking in Quebec.

Finally, in March 2007, IBCR launched its second regional report titled: “Making Children’s Rights Workin North Africa: Country Profiles in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.”

This report contains information on IBCR’s activitiesand key achievements for the period from April 1st,2006 to March 31st, 2007.

To begin with, IBCR’s 2006-2007 efforts on thereporting and analysis of the implementation of theConvention on the Rights of the Child at the nationallevel produced not one but two publications, withCountry Profiles on selected countries of South-EastAsia and on countries of North Africa, respectively.See page 10 for more details.

Following last year’s adoption of the Guidelineson Justice in Matters Involving Child Victims andWitnesses of Crime by the United Nations (ECOSOC

resolution 2005/20), IBCR focused its efforts on raising awareness about this newinstrument and on developing tools in order to provide technical assistance to MembersStates in the implementation of the Guidelines. Members of the IBCR team alsotook part in various UN Experts Group Meetings, including one which served toformulate recommendations on criminal justice responses to violence against childrenand to ensure that the Guidelines were integrated into the Final Report of the UNStudy on Violence Against Children. Please see page 7 for more on our activitiesand results pertaining to the protection of child victims and witnesses of crime.

In 2006-2007 saw the completion of the first phase of IBCR’s vigorous researchproject entitled Strategic Action Plan for the Protection of Victims of Child Traffic-king in Quebec. As is explained on pages 8-9, our team of experts and professionalsconducted an empirical study on the phenomenon in Canada and particularly inQuebec. The results of this study gave rise to a series of recommendations which inturn will form the foundation of the IBCR’s action plan in response to child trafficking.

In addition to these activities, the reader will find information on, the mission andobjectives of the IBCR, personal contributions from some of our professionals, internsand board members, and finally, a summary of IBCR’s financial results for the year.

I would like to thank the IBCR’s Board of Directors for their support and adviceand to express our gratitude to the donors, in particular the religious congregationsof Quebec and Canada for their unwavering support. We are also thankful to thegovernments of Canada and Sweden for their support of our projects. Finally, specialthanks to the 40 or so dedicated interns and volunteers for so generouslycontributing their knowledge and time to the IBCR and the cause.

Jean-François NoëlDirector General

The Director General Message from the Director General

2006-2007 Team

Staff Members

D I R E C T O R G E N E R A L

Jean-François Noël

D I R E C T O R O FA D M I N I S T R A T I O N

Luc Ouimet

S E N I O R A D V I S O R

Fritz Lherisson

P R O G R A M M E M A N A G E R S

Vrej Atabekian

Catherine Gauvreau

Guillaume Landry

Cyril Laucci

A D M I N I S T R A T I V EA S S I S T A N T

Berthilde Murorunkwere

C O M M U N I T Y R E L A T I O N SC O O R D I N A T O R

Louise Gagné

Consultants and othercollaborators

Essam AliNéjid AyedJean BeaudoinJulie BlancPatrick BollandMélanie M. GagnonPhilip LutherMarlene MenziesNajat M’JidFrançois RiguetShelagh RoxburghChris SidotiOmbeline Soulier DugénieGeorge StamatisSuzanne TaillonCatherine Vinet-GasseJulie Vinet-Thibault

LInterns and volunteers

Fadwa BenmbarekMarleah BlomChristina CabralMacrine CatteloinSarah ClarkeCédric CloutierAndrea Diaz VarelaKelly Di DomenicoDiana DraganovaVannina EttoriLaurence FerlandMarcel GauvreauThérèse GauvreauMarie-Élaine GuayMaella HemoninAidan JefferyLeanne JohnnyVanessa LamDominique LaRochelleMarie-Noëlle L’EspéranceChiarra MarcazzanFrédéric Massicotte

Kathryn Morrell Mounira MoustaphaMaja MuftícMarilou NadeauMaïté ParrFlorence PhamNadja PollaertClaire PuretzElena RaicuMaria José Ramos Alfred Reynolds Lauélia Rolland-FortinNawel SmounOmbéline SoulierDugénieJocelyn TatebeAaisha Tracy ClémentineUwimbabaziLisa WeichTania Wihl

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Millions of childrenthroughout the

world suffer harm as aresult of crime and abuseof power. The rights ofthose children have notbeen adequately reco-gnized and they maysuffer additional hardshipwhen assisting in thejustice process. Childrenare vulnerable and requirespecial protection appro-

priate to their age, level of maturity and individualspecial needs. Girls are particularly vulnerable andmay face discrimination at all stages of the justicesystem. Children who are victims and witnesses maysuffer additional hardship if mistakenly viewed asoffenders when they are in fact victims and witnesses.Improved responses to child victims and witnessesof crime can make children and their families morewilling to disclose instances of victimization andmore supportive of the justice process.

It is in this context and in response to the needexpressed by governments and professionals forguidance in this field that IBCR set up its programon child victims and witnesses of crime. We beganin the late 90’s by conducting research on existingnorms and standards such as the Convention on theRights of the Child which sets forth requirementsand principles to secure effective recognition ofthe rights of children, and the Declaration of BasicPrinciples of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuseof Power which sets forth principles to providevictims with the right to information, participation,protection, reparation and assistance. Researchwas also conducted on existing best practices inthis field, bearing in mind the variety of legalsystems and traditions.

Considering that crime is increasingly transna-tional in nature and in light of the need to ensurethat child victims and witnesses of crime receiveequivalent protection in all countries, IBCR hasdeveloped a set of Guidelines that offer a practicaland user-friendly framework to support and guideprofessionals working with child victims andwitnesses of crime in their day-to-day practice andto assist in the design, review and implementationof national and domestic laws, procedures, andpractices in this field.

Determined to see its Guidelines implemented inpractice and to raise awareness about the situationof child victims and witnesses worldwide, IBCRdecided to lobby States for the adoption of itsGuidelines by the United Nations. On 22 July 2005,ECOSOC adopted the UN Guidelines on Justice inMatters Involving Child Victims and Witnesses ofCrime (Resolution 2005/20), while recognisingIBCR's contribution to the travaux préparatoires.

Results obtainedin 2006-2007In 2006-2007, IBCR participatedin various events and activities topromote the Guidelines, includingan experts meeting held in Viennain April 2006 which served toformulate recommendationson criminal justice responses to

violence against children. As a result, the Guidelineswere reflected into the Final Report of the UNStudy on Violence Against Children. IBCR also tookpart in the Intergovernmental Experts GroupMeeting to develop an information gatheringinstrument on UN standards and norms relatedprimarily to victim issues, such as the Guidelines.

To ensure that children are made aware of theGuidelines, thus being informed of their rights andhow to protect themselves, IBCR and its partners –namely the United Nations Office on Drugs andCrime (UNODC), UNICEF and the INNOCENTIResearch Center – recently finalized a child-friendlyversion of the Guidelines. The latter were publishedsimultaneously in all six official UN languages(Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish andRussian), both in electronic format (CD-ROM)and in hard copy (colour pamphlets).

Finally, IBCR and its partners are in the processof designing tools to assist policy-makers and profes-sionals in their efforts to implement the Guidelinesand to adapt their practice and legislation accordingly.More specifically, IBCR, UNODC and UNICEFare developing a draft handbook as well as modellegislative provisions to assist in the implementationof the Guidelines. These tools will be finalizedduring international experts group meetings tobe held in May 2007.

2006-2007 REPORT

Child victims and

witnesses of crime

Me Cyril Laucci Gestionnaire de programme

IBCR and you…

wGuillaume Landry, ProgramManager in Charge of theCountry Profiles, since 2006 “I joined IBCR last Septemberafter spending many years overseas.I often have to travel to Africa tomeet with our partners as part of my

work here at the Bureau. I also make regular businesstrips to Ottawa to participate in meetings. There are3 to 4 interns that work with me here at IBCR.Without their energy and contributions it wouldbe impossible to do what we do.”

Mélanie Gagnon, AssociateResearcher for the TraffickingProgram, since 2005 “The Bureau defends the same valuesthat are dear to me, and that is themajor reason why I first decided tobecome involved as a volunteer.

My work involves research on various projects. Ienjoy my work here at the Bureau, and as apsychologist, it gives me a more objective side to mydaily work with children.”

Sister Sheila Sullivan, IBCRBoard Member and Treasurer,since 2002“Defending the rights of childrenis part of our heritage and is animportant part of our values asa society. Since 2001, religious

communities around the world have come togetherto fight against the trafficking of women andchildren. The Bureau is helping us as it promotesour values. I am a member of the IBCR Board ofDirectors and the Treasurer, and try hard to attendall the meetings. I helped in the search for newoffices and I also act as the liaison between theBureau and the religious community.”

Louise Gagné, Volunteer -Community RelationsCoordinator, since 1999“I originally started with the Bureauas a volunteer, and in 2001 I was ableto convince IBCR to work with agroup of volunteers made up of

professionals that would work directly on respectingthe rights of unaccompanied children arriving at ourborder. It then evolved to include work on fightingagainst the trafficking of children. Nowadays, I aman employee of the Immigration Ministry of Quebecand give up one paid day per week to volunteer withIBCR in order fulfill my commitment. It is a questionof balance in life. I also volunteer because I believethat the Bureau has credibility and can play animportant role in eliminating the trafficking ofchildren forever.”

Nawel Smoun, intern for theCountry Profiles programfrom February to May 2007 “The IBCR is not a very big place,but their projects are huge and that iswhy the Bureau relies heavily on thecontribution of its interns. When I

first got here, the Bureau was working on the study ofChildren’s Rights in North Africa and theyappreciated my ability to speak Arabic.”

Dominique LaRochelle,volunteer for the traffickingprogram since autumn 2006“I try and help out the team wheneverthey need me. Personally, I find itessential to make sure that the rights ofchildren are respected, that their needs

are met and that the Canadian population is aware ofthis ever increasing problem. It truly is a pleasure to beable to work with the employees, interns and volunteersthat make up the Bureau.”

Håkan Friman, IBCR BoardMember, Vice-president –fundraising (international) “My collaboration with IBCRstarted in 2001 as a member of thesteering committee for theguidelines on child victims. From

this very fruitful and rewarding project followedinvolvement as a Board member and more recentlyin the project on country profiles. Being a director inthe Swedish Ministry of Justice, and a former judge,I am benefiting from these experiences and hopefullymaking some contributions as well.”

Without you the Bureau wouldn’t be what it is. You are all contributing onyour own level, according to your expertise and availability. You are all keyfigures in the Bureau’s activities as well as an integral part of its future…

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2006-2007 REPORT

Child trafficking and sexual

exploitation of childrenThe phenomenon of child trafficking is described

as a clandestine problem that is difficult to detect,even for a professional that is well informed on thesubject. Several respondents expressed their needfor further support in order to create and maintainpartnership against child trafficking. In order toensure the protection of victims and to minimisethe risks of revictimisation, the cooperation betweendifferent partnerships is essential. Better systems ofinformation exchange should be developed in orderto intervene and to ensure an appropriate follow upof victims of trafficking, while ensuring the respectof their right to confidentiality.

Prospects for the futureFollowing the results obtained, recommendationsrelating to the fighting against child trafficking inQuebec were proposed. In the intent to validatethem, this fall we organised focus groups andgathered written comments and suggestions.

During the spring 2007, IBCR will issuerecommendations addressed to the federal interdepartmental group on trafficking in persons andthe Quebec inter departmental group on traffickingin migrant women.

In the next months, IBCR will circulateinformation relating to child trafficking in Quebecto stakeholders and develop a training programme.Additionally, IBCR will encourage present andfuture initiatives that are taken in respect of the rightsof child victims of trafficking or children that areat risk. This will be done, by encouraging betterrelations between governmental, inter-governmentaland non-governmental agencies. For example, IBCRwill create and coordinate a working group composedof government as well as non-government repre-sentatives whose mandate will be to find specificsolutions as to ensure a better protection of childvictims of external trafficking.

IBCR’s recommendations will serve as thefoundation of an action plan that will be elaboratedand implemented in close collaboration with itspartners in the course of 2007.

The project on separated children Since IBCR published in 2003 the Best PracticeStatement on Separated Children in Canada, it hasbeen presented to the concerned Federal andProvincial authorities to sensitise them to thesituation of separated children.

This year, IBCR and other non-governmentalorganisations participate actively on the advisorycommittee to study questions concerning separatedchildren, created by the Department of Citizenshipand Immigration of Canada. The committee addressesdifferent subjects such as family reunification,appointment of a legal guardian and guidelinesfor immigration officers or board members.

IBCR contributes to maintaining separatedchildren’s rights at the center of the preoccupationsof governmental and non governmental actors.

The researchpaperIn 2006, the InternationalBureau for Children’sRights (IBCR) conducteda detailed study on childtrafficking in Quebec.This study is part of anaction research that aimsto develop a betterunderstanding of childtrafficking and improve

the efficiency of intervention practices.

The project began by collecting data on currentknowledge regarding children who are victims oftrafficking and on the preventative, protective, rein-tegration and prosecution measures. Then, concernedparties at the local, regional and provincial levelswere given the opportunity to share informationabout their practices and experiences as well asexpress their concerns and needs.

This study on child trafficking is the first toaddress the situation in Quebec and to identify theneeds of its victims. Furthermore, a multidisciplinarycommittee of experts was formed to assist theresearch team and to periodically assess the workthat has been done. This committee forms a linkwith people and groups concerned with differentaspects of child trafficking in Quebec, and itprovides viable support by guiding the projectthrough subsequent steps and making sure theinformation that is collected is relevant.

In February 2007, IBCR is pleased to presentthe results from the first part of the Strategic ActionPlan for the Protection of Victims of Child Traffickingin Quebec project which comprises of three generalobjectives: (1) to improve the protection of childvictims of trafficking, (2) to prevent child traffickingand (3) to reduce crime by gaining a betterunderstanding of this problem.

The principal resultsThe analysis of results highlights the varying degreesof awareness and knowledge concerning humantrafficking, as well as the absence of a commondefinition of the phenomenon. The actors we metinsisted on the importance of raising awareness onhuman trafficking for the general public, as well asfor both governmental and non governmental actorsthat may encounter cases of trafficking through aneffective public educational campaign.

Professionals that intervene directly with childvictims of trafficking or children who are at riskmust receive training. Most respondents admittednot being aware of the laws relevant to thetrafficking in persons including the definition oftrafficking, the laws and possible recourses, as wellas the parameters governing stakeholders’work.

The use of a common definition of humantrafficking which is relevant to the realities of theQuebec and Canadian context will permit a betterunderstanding between stakeholders, as well asfacilitate the identification of victims and the gathe-ring of more accurate data on this phenomenon.

Despite the absence of accurate statistics, thepersons consulted believe that the phenomenonof trafficking is expanding. In order to truly under-stand the gravity of the problem, it is necessary togather accurate data regarding child trafficking.

Me Catherine Gauvreau, Programme Manager

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*

Analysing thestatus of theimplementingthe CRC betweencountries of asame regionThe programme onCountry Profiles onthe Status of theImplementation ofthe Convention on theRights of the Child (CRC)

is one of the core IBCR activities. It involves ana-lysing and reporting on the status of implementationof the CRC and its Optional Protocols. The overallobjective is to fill the disparities in monitoringchildren’s rights at the national and regional level,and facilitate the implementation of the CRC andits Optional Protocols globally by providing gover-nments with successful international practices thatcould be implemented in their respective countries.The programme particularly aims to detect theexisting challenges and gaps, to highlight theprogress made and to identify the commendablepractices that are developed in the area of children’srights by state parties, based on the ConcludingObservations of the Committee on the Rights of theChild. Moreover, the preparation and publicationof the country profiles also allow a comparativeanalysis and enhance knowledge of the situation ofchildren’s rights at both national and regional levels,highlighting achievements, variations and remainingchallenges particular to a regional ensemble.

Focusing on South-East Asiaand North Africa

In July 2006, with fundingfrom the CanadianInternational Develop-ment Agency (CIDA),IBCR published its firstregional report on South-East Asia, “MakingChildren’s Rights Work:Country Profiles onCambodia, Indonesia, SriLanka, Timor Leste andViet Nam”. The launch ofthis report was the result

of last year’s efforts in documenting the experienceof South-East Asian countries in implementing theCRC and its Optional Protocols. So far, the reporthas attracted much interest on the part of Canadianagencies as well as international partners worldwide.

The second phaseof the programme beganin early 2006 when theSwedish Ministry ofForeign Affairs providedfunding for the comple-tion of profiles for NorthAfrican countries, namelyAlgeria, Egypt, Libya,Morocco and Tunisia.IBCR’s country profilesteam used the sameresearch and verification

techniques piloted in the first report on South-EastAsia, while also increasing the participation of localstakeholders in drafting the report and dissemina-ting the findings. In order to validate the preliminaryresults of the IBCR’s in-house research and analysis,IBCR sent its Programme Manager to some of theselected countries on a fact-finding mission. Moreover,IBCR’s country profile team continued to liaise withactors from the examined countries to verify anddevelop the content of the reports. Experts onchildren’s rights from Morocco and Egypt werealso asked to contribute information and analysis.

Finally, in March 2007, IBCR launched its secondreport entitled “Making Children’s Rights Work inNorth Africa: Country Profiles on Algeria, Egypt,Libya, Morocco and Tunisia”.

Introducing a Regional AnalysisA new feature in this second publication is theinclusion of a regional analysis. Indeed, lessonslearned from the first regional report on South-EastAsia as well as consultations with local stakeholdersindicated the need for a regional perspective andanalysis of the situation of children’s rights in orderto facilitate the understanding and henceforthsharing of good practices between countries. Thissecond regional report on North Africa thereforeintroduces a chapter at the end of the report tocompare accomplishments and remaining challengesin the promotion and protection of children’s rightsin Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.

Accomplishments andchallenges in North AfricaThe report on North Africa highlights that therehave been significant accomplishments in thesecountries, particularly in the area of nationallegislation reform to ensure compatibility with theCRC and also the enjoyment by children of theirrights to health and education – although there arestill disparities between girls and boys and betweenurban and rural areas. The constitutions of almostall the countries make references to the rights ofchildren. There has also been good progress in theestablishment at country level of an appropriategovernment structure to coordinate actions forthe realisation of children’s rights.

The report also underlines that there has beenlittle progress in creating at country level an inde-pendent institution to monitor compliance withthe CRC’s principles, to promote and protect thechildren’s rights, although Morocco and Egypt havetaken steps in that direction. Progress is somewhatlimited in relation to the application of the bestinterests of the child and child participation princi-ples, to listening to the child views and concerns andalso in the area of protecting the child from all formsof discrimination. The study also underscores theserious efforts being made to promote a change ofattitudes, including cultural and traditional practicesfor ensuring the full respect of children’s rights.

Overall, the report shows that there have beensome advances in the area of child protection but farmore rigorous actions are needed to address factors

that impede progress, including negative socialattitudes, stigma, discrimination, taboo and culturaland traditional practices and beliefs. The enforce-ment of some of the new laws that protect children’srights is also a significant challenge, according to thestudy. The report notes that committed politicalleadership in all five States give high priority tochildren in national agendas, although the level ofcommitment may vary. This commitment, combinedwith a heightened awareness of children’s rightsboth within government and civil society is a goodfoundation for progress in the effective implemen-tation of the CRC through further legislative reformsand enactment of laws adopted, further and betterpolicies and programmes that specifically target therealisation of children’s rights, and, most importan-tly, an increased allocation of resources to addressthe remaining challenges identified.

Based on the findings of the study, IBCR concludesthat the implementation of the Convention on theRights of the Child in the five North Africancountries is a work in progress with some challengesahead that require further and more vigorous actionsin some areas and also an enhanced partnership withcivil society and the children themselves.

PerspectivesIn order to facilitate the dissemination and cross-referencing between actors of the five examinedcountries in North Africa, IBCR has undertaken thetranslation of the report in Arabic. It is hoped thatthis version will be launched in the region in thenext year to ensure greater impact.

In the meantime, IBCR continues seekingpartners and funding in order to accelerate the paceof the implementation of the programme coveringother regions of the world, with a particular intereston the remaining countries of Africa. Ultimately, thisprogramme aims at covering all the countries whichhave ratified the CRC and presenting a globalcountry-based analysis of the situation of children’srights along the benchmarks of the CRC.

2006-2007 REPORT

Country profiles

Guillaume Landry, Programme Manager

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