1. Children’s rights

    Despite the fact that 196 countries have signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, there are millions of children who lack access to education. In countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, children cannot access school due to the high cost. Children can be excluded from school due to poverty, gender, class and disability. They can be subjected to unsanitary conditions and violence at school.

    Read the report School Doors are closed to Millions written by Human Rights Watch.



  1. Political and Civil Rights

    In July 2016 the Turkish government faced an attempted coup (This is a rapid and sudden takeover of government that is often violent; the force attempting to take power is unelected). The attempted coup was stopped by the government. The existing powers feared for the security and stability of the nation so they arrested many people and implemented a state of emergency.  During a state of emergency, the government often suspends certain civil liberties such as freedom of association, of the press, and legal rights.  Balancing the needs of the whole society with the needs of the individual is not a unique challenge. Turkey was widely criticized by human rights organizations for failing to uphold human rights. It is very difficult for countries such as Canada to criticize as Turkey is a NATO ally. Some people feel that the situation could be improved if countries were more willing to speak openly. Have a peek at these statistics collected by Amnesty International:

    Read the report Turkey crackdown by the numbers from Amnesty International.


  1. Right to be Safe

    In countries such as Cambodia many landmines remain in the ground, remnants of war. Landmines are used because they are inexpensive and devastating. They also kill indiscriminately; children and civilians are hurt most frequently. Because of the presence of landmines, life is very limited. If the fields and paths are not safe to walk, people do not plant crops or go to school. The lack of safety compromises the rights to an education and to earn a living. In 1997 a treaty was created called the Convention on the Prohibition, Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on Their Destruction. It is also called the Ottawa Convention or Mine Ban Treaty  because Canada played an important role in the development of this treaty.  The treaty has reduced casualties, removed existing mines, educated and rehabilitated people but there is still room for improvement.  Learn about some of the successes in this quick video The Ripple Effect created by Mines Action Canada.  Unfortunately an increase in military conflict and unrest has resulted in an increase in landmine use for the first time in many years.  

    Read about the recent trends:


  1. Rights of People with Disabilities
    The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was implemented with the express purpose of ensuring dignity and equality to those who are disabled in our communities. The country of New Zealand was instrumental in the creation of this convention. It took a long time to develop because some nations felt that these rights were adequately covered by other rights documents. Rights documents that are specific; such as this convention, or others that pertain to women, children, detainees or refugees are important because they recognize the particular challenges faced by a group.

    Despite progress however, persons with disabilities face discrimination and barriers that restrict them from participating in society on an equal basis with others every day. They are denied their rights to be included in the general school system, to be employed, to live independently in the community, to move freely, to vote, to participate in sport and cultural activities, to enjoy social protection, to access justice, to choose medical treatment and to enter freely into legal commitments such as buying and selling property.

    A disproportionate number of persons with disabilities live in developing countries, often marginalized and in extreme poverty. The protection guaranteed in other human rights treaties, and grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, should apply to all. Persons with disabilities have, however, remained largely “invisible”, often side-lined in the rights debate and unable to enjoy the full range of human rights.


  1. The rights of imprisonment and detention  

    Despite a number of international conventions that outline practices for the humane treatment of detainees, prohibit of the use of torture, articulate the need for a fair trial and identify specific measures that should be used for youth, there continues to be serious problems in many nations. Not all countries have signed these agreements as they feel it limits their sovereignty. China, the USA and Russia have all faced accusations by international human rights advocates.

    Read the following excerpt from Amnesty International: