International Summer Course on the Rights of the Child

11th Edition

From June 19 to 24, 2022, Université de Moncton, Canada

The World’s largest minority: Focus on the rights of children and youth with disabilities or special needs

 

The International Summer Course on the Rights of the Child (ISCRC) is a forum for professionals who work with children. This event promotes better professional practices and promotes child’s rights as fundamental rights of human beings pursuant to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It also aims to encourage decision-makers and decision-makers to develop public policies and programs to protect the best interests of the child in New Brunswick, across Canada, and around the world. The 11th edition of the Summer Course will focus on a collective reflection on the issues and problems surrounding the rights of children and youth with disabilities or special needs.

Each State Party to the UNCRC is legally bound to respect, fulfill and protect the rights of each child as enshrined in the Convention. According to article 23, “States Parties recognize that a mentally or physically disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child's active participation in the community”.

Also, article 7 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities¹ requires States Parties to take “all necessary measures to ensure the full enjoyment by children with disabilities of all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other children”.

Today, according to the latest statistical analysis and the UNICEF report on this topic, there are nearly 240 million children with disabilities in the world².

Yet, although they represent the largest minority in the world, children and youth with disabilities or special needs are too often forgotten, even invisible. Regularly confronted with discrimination, violence and exclusion, their needs are often neglected and their access to health care, water and sanitation, education, work or community life is still subject to many constraints.

SAccording to Article 1 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities³, opersons with disabilities are persons who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. The term special needs, while not legally defined, encompasses a broader population of children and youth as it refers to anyone who experiences persistent difficulties with or without a diagnosis.

In a context where millions of children and youth with disabilities or special needs continue to be left behind despite the near-universal ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, what policies and strategies need to be developed and implemented to enable the realization of these rights? What are the mechanisms that allow, in the formal or informal sectors, to propose an effective response to allow these children and youth to reach their full potential? The Organizing Committee invites professionals from around the world and from Canada to share initiatives or thoughts that seek answers to these questions in order to be able to discuss during the next edition of the Summer Course.

The scientific committee and organizers of this course invite researchers and professionals to propose sessions that include conceptual analysis, implementation or evaluation of the proposed themes. This multi-disciplinary exchange forum on children's rights is envisioned as a hybrid format with conferences held in Moncton, Canada, but also with the possibility for speakers and participants to participate online.

Professionals and researchers are invited to talk about the following themes:

 

THEMES

1 - Right to a healthy environment and right to the highest attainable standard of health and development

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees every child the right to a healthy environment and the highest attainable standard of health and development.

The right to a safe and clean environment is also a global priority identified in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Also, access to adequate nutrition, water and sanitation, and quality health care, including immunization is essential to guarantee the right to survive and develop, and to live a life free from disease, infection or other conditions that affect each child's well-being and future prospects.

Yet, children and youth with disabilities or special needs still face a lack of or inaccessible medical care or rehabilitation, social exclusion, or unsafe and unhealthy living conditions.

Children and youth with disabilities are also over-represented in care institutions or on the streets. According to UNICEF, 30% of street children are disabled.⁴

According to the UK Department for International Development, mortality among children with disabilities can be as high as 80% in countries where total under-five mortality has fallen below 20%⁵.

The scientific committee invites proposals dealing with promising practices, case studies, policies or programs to better implement the right to health of children and young people with disabilities or with special needs as well as their participation in the development of such practices, policies or programs.

 

2 - Right to education, to employment and to inclusion

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees every child the right to a fair chance in life. Yet children and youth with disabilities or special needs often have limited access to education and employment.

The denial of their right to education compromises their ability to fully enjoy their rights as citizens, to find gainful employment and to play a meaningful role in society. According to UNESCO, 90% of children with disabilities in developing countries are not in school . ⁶.

According to the International Labor Organization, some 386 million people of working age have disabilities⁷. According to a 2004 U.S. study, only 35% of working-age people with disabilities are employed, compared to 78% of those without disabilities. In some countries, the unemployment rate among people with disabilities is as high as 80%. Moreover, when employed, people with disabilities are often paid less.

Yet companies report that people with disabilities have a better retention rate, which reduces the high cost of turnover. Other U.S. surveys show that after one year of employment, the retention rate for people with disabilities is 85%⁸. The most successful economies will maximize the productivity of all members of society including people with disabilities and to this end the preparation of young people with disabilities for work is essential.

The Scientific Committee invites proposals for conferences dealing with the economic impact of inclusive societies, practices, programs and mechanisms to promote full employment among young people with disabilities and to train children and young people with special needs to maximize their opportunities for employment and participation in the economic and cultural life of their communities.

 

3 - Right to be free from all forms of discrimination and violence

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees every child the right to be free from discrimination, abuse, and exploitation.

Comparative studies on disability laws show that only 45 countries have anti-discrimination or disability-specific legislation⁹.

Also, children and youth with disabilities and special needs often face double discrimination. For example, women and girls with disabilities face double discrimination because of their gender and their disability and are also particularly vulnerable to violence and abuse.

Children and youth with disabilities are also more likely to be victims of abuse or exploitation.

From birth, children with disabilities are exposed to multiple forms of abuse that can continue throughout their lives. A child born with a disability is at increased risk of infanticide. As children grow older, research indicates that children with disabilities or special needs experience significantly higher rates of bullying than children without disabilities. Children with disabilities may also face an increased risk of sexual abuse or exploitation. Research indicates that the annual rate of violence against children with disabilities is 1.7 times greater than for their non-disabled peers¹⁰.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in some countries, a quarter of all disabilities are caused by injury or violence. In war zones, three children are injured and permanently disabled for every child killed.

The Scientific Committee invites contributions on the importance of activating the fight against violence against children with disabilities or with special needs. Initiatives from the public sector, the private business sector and civil society are sought in order to clearly identify the elements of success in relation to these issues.

 

4 - Data collection, research, and development

The availability of data on children and youth with disabilities has long been a challenge. Historically, measures of disability have focused on domains related to physical and sensory functioning, while other domains, including those related to psychosocial functioning, have been largely overlooked. At other times, families were not aware of the existence of children with disabilities because of the stigma attached to them, thus underestimating their numbers in some countries.

Therefore, available data are limited. When they are absent from official statistics, children and youth with disabilities remain politically and socially "invisible," increasing their marginalization and exposure to violations of their rights.

Recent years have seen a renewed interest in producing reliable and internationally comparable data on children and youth with disabilities. Data collection, research, and development are essential and primary drivers for the implementation of children's rights and monitoring of their implementation.

The Scientific Committee invites proposals both in connection with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or other human rights treaties allowing better measurement of the quality of life and the enjoyment of their fundamental rights by children and young people with disabilities or special needs.

 

5 - Various themes

The above-noted themes are not exhaustive. Therefore, a limited number of proposals addressing other aspects not mentioned above will be considered if they align with the main subject of the Course.

 

TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS

Please specify the presentation format in your application. There are four formats available:

• Round Table : 1- to 3-hour presentation by several presenters. Please submit a title, a summary of the presentation, the names of the other participants, and the time needed, accounting for periods of discussion and the number of participants.
• Oral Presentation : The length of each presentation (from 20 to 30 minutes) is determined by the Organizing Committee depending on the number of presentations received.
• Workshop : Workshops (from 60 to 90 minutes) can be about techniques for using a tool, an approach, or a practice. Workshops are more effective with a smaller group of participants.
• Poster Communication : This format provides the opportunity to present the results of a research, an approach, a tool or a practice in the form of a poster. Poster dimensions should not exceed 60cm x 120cm (2ft x 4ft) in portrait format or 120cm x 60cm (4ft x 2ft) in landscape format. You must submit the abstract of your poster communication.

The Committee will do its best to respect your choice of formats but reserves the right to use a different format if necessary.

Please Note: The various presentations are envisioned in a hybrid format, with the option of presenting in person from Moncton, Canada, or online. Poster presentations are only possible while in person.

 

TERMS OF SUBMISSION AND POSSIBILITY OF PUBLICATION

Anyone who wants to submit a proposal for an oral presentation in one of the two official languages of New Brunswick and Canada is invited to do so.

Your presentation proposal must respect the following criteria in order to be reviewed:

• The summary can be no longer than half a page in length. Please specify which of the themes you will address (Theme 1,2,3,4 or other theme), the presentation format, and the title.
• Your proposal must include a small biography (250 words maximum) and a picture of you, sent as two separate Word or PDF documents. In order to maintain anonymity, your proposal (Word or PDF) must not contain anything that could identify you personally.
• Please specify if you want to be published in the Revue de l’Université de Moncton. The rules for publication will be sent to authors who are confirmed as participants.

*NOTE THE EXTENDED DEADLINE TO MARCH 28th*

Please submit your proposal before March 28, 2022. The Organizing Committee will assess proposals and evaluate their ability to enrich the dialogue.

Submit your application