Message Board
Jodie Griffiths-Cook
Public Advocate and Children & Young People’s Commissioner
ACT Human Rights Commission
ACT Human Rights Commission
The theme of this year’s Children’s Week centres on Article 42 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention), notably that ‘Everyone should know about Children’s Rights.’
In my role, I continually emphasise the important protective factor that comes with engaging children and young people about issues impacting their lives. These participation rights are emphasised in Article 12 of the Convention.
A key focus of my work as the ACT Children and Young People Commissioner is seeking to ensure that Canberra is the best place it can be for our children and young people, including by empowering children and young people to know and enact their rights. However, it is equally important to ensure that adults who work with children and young people are similarly equipped to understand and uphold children’s rights.
To support our work in this regard, in 2024, I launched the publication Your rights, in your words: A guide to the ACT Human Rights Act 2004. This resource and the poster that accompanies it were developed by consulting with over 170 children and young people around Canberra to both inform them of their rights and find out how to explain their rights in ways and words that work for them. The resulting products are not just useful for children and young people but are also a useful resource for others seeking a simple explanation of the ACT Human Rights Act.
This local work connects directly to the broader global context. In 2025, we mark the 35th anniversary of Australia’s ratification of the Convention. For me, this milestone is especially meaningful because the Convention underpins everything I do in seeking to ensure that rights are not just words on a page, but made real for children and young people.
This anniversary provides the perfect backdrop for Children’s Week. It is a time when we not only reflect on rights but also celebrate children and young people for all that they contribute to our community. This week reminds us that children and young people have inherent value in the here and now, and not just because of their future potential. It is my privilege, as Children and Young People Commissioner, to champion their rights and ensure their views and perspectives are listened to and respected in shaping our vision for the world now and for future generations to come.
My sincere thanks go to the ACT Children’s Week Committee, whose work makes this week such a meaningful celebration of children and young people. This is my 10th year celebrating Children’s Week in the ACT and I look forward to joining the 2025 activities and to recognising the many ways children and young people enrich our community.
Warm regards,
Jodie Griffiths-Cook
Public Advocate and Children and Young People Commissioner
ACT Human Rights Commission
In my role, I continually emphasise the important protective factor that comes with engaging children and young people about issues impacting their lives. These participation rights are emphasised in Article 12 of the Convention.
A key focus of my work as the ACT Children and Young People Commissioner is seeking to ensure that Canberra is the best place it can be for our children and young people, including by empowering children and young people to know and enact their rights. However, it is equally important to ensure that adults who work with children and young people are similarly equipped to understand and uphold children’s rights.
To support our work in this regard, in 2024, I launched the publication Your rights, in your words: A guide to the ACT Human Rights Act 2004. This resource and the poster that accompanies it were developed by consulting with over 170 children and young people around Canberra to both inform them of their rights and find out how to explain their rights in ways and words that work for them. The resulting products are not just useful for children and young people but are also a useful resource for others seeking a simple explanation of the ACT Human Rights Act.
This local work connects directly to the broader global context. In 2025, we mark the 35th anniversary of Australia’s ratification of the Convention. For me, this milestone is especially meaningful because the Convention underpins everything I do in seeking to ensure that rights are not just words on a page, but made real for children and young people.
This anniversary provides the perfect backdrop for Children’s Week. It is a time when we not only reflect on rights but also celebrate children and young people for all that they contribute to our community. This week reminds us that children and young people have inherent value in the here and now, and not just because of their future potential. It is my privilege, as Children and Young People Commissioner, to champion their rights and ensure their views and perspectives are listened to and respected in shaping our vision for the world now and for future generations to come.
My sincere thanks go to the ACT Children’s Week Committee, whose work makes this week such a meaningful celebration of children and young people. This is my 10th year celebrating Children’s Week in the ACT and I look forward to joining the 2025 activities and to recognising the many ways children and young people enrich our community.
Warm regards,
Jodie Griffiths-Cook
Public Advocate and Children and Young People Commissioner
ACT Human Rights Commission
