Bill Kidd, SNP MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, called on the Cabinet Secretary to outline further steps being taken to ensure that current and future legislative processes fully integrate the principles and aims of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024.
The UNCRC Incorporation (Scotland) Act places a duty on the Scottish Government to ensure that the rights of children and young people in Scotland are respected across all areas of public life. The Act requires public bodies to align with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensuring that children’s voices are central to the decisions that affect their lives.
In response to Bill Kidd’s question, Shirley-Anne Somerville, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice said:
‘”We are committed to fostering a proactive culture of everyday accountability for children’s rights and to ensuring that our legislation aligns with UNCRC requirements.
‘This is why we introduced the act, which requires us to publish child rights and wellbeing impact assessments when developing new bills and Scottish statutory instruments.”
Looking ahead, the Cabinet Secretary added that the Government will publish its first Children’s Rights Scheme later this year. The scheme will detail how Scotland plans to give further effect to children's rights across all areas of public policy and action.
Following up Bill Kidd emphasized the importance of ensuring that children and young people are at the heart of decision-making to ensure the success of this legislation asking:
“Does the Cabinet Secretary agree that children and young people must be central to decision-making, and what steps are being taken to ensure they understand their rights and know how to access and advocate for them?”
In response, the Cabinet Secretary reinforced the Government's commitment to ensuring children’s voices are heard:
“We are dedicated to ensuring that the views of children and young people are a primary consideration in decisions that affect them. This is a key component of their rights.
‘On my visits as both a constituency MSP and Minister, I am always impressed by the work being done in schools to ensure that children understand their rights,” she said.
The Cabinet Secretary highlighted ongoing efforts to engage children and young people, including their participation in annual meetings with the Scottish Government Cabinet.
Furthermore, the Government is developing a comprehensive UNCRC awareness plan, with a focus on those whose rights are most at risk; co-designing resources to help children understand how to access and claim their rights if they feel they are being overlooked.
Commenting Bill said
"I welcome the commitment to strengthening children’s rights in Scotland and ensuring that young people’s voices are at the heart of decision-making. However, I will continue to advocate for all children, particularly those who are most at risk, to ensure they are fully informed of their rights and have the opportunity to exercise them."
