In 1991, the Canadian government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which they signed onto in 1990. The UNCRC, like the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child which preceded it, is very clear in stating that the rights and legal protection of children are paramount in both born and pre-born children. The preamble from the UNCRC states, “Bearing in mind that, as indicated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth”. The 1989 Convention on the Rights of a Child that Canada signed onto is a binding agreement, that our country is in direct violation of.
Canada needs to adhere to the commitments made when signing the UNCRC. The lack of restrictions on abortion are not only way out of line with all other Western nations but are also an egregious infringement on the rights of children as recognized by the United Nations.