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Background
Rights of the Child UK (ROCK) is a coalition of voluntary organisations and individuals working together to embed children’s human rights into law, policy and practice.
ROCK’s work is guided by its Steering Group, which comprises representatives from leading child rights alliances across the UK, including: Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights); Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE); Children in Wales; Wales UNCRC Monitoring Group; Children’s Law Centre; and UNICEF UK.
Successive governments at a UK and devolved level have asserted their desire to become the best place in the world for children to grow up. The ROCK coalition believes this can only be achieved by bringing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into law across all jurisdictions of the UK, bringing the rights it enshrines within the reach of all babies, children and young people, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Our aims are to:
- Achieve the active recognition and realisation of children's rights in the UK jurisdictions and Jersey through the incorporation of the UNCRC into law at UK wide and devolved levels.
- Identify and act upon opportunities for the incorporation of the UNCRC into law.
- Work together to maximise the opportunities to strengthen children's rights that are presented by proposals from the UK and devolved governments.
Conference 2024
#RightsChild2024
On Monday 7th July 2025, Rights of the Child (ROCK) Steering Group officially launched their Post-Conference Report 2024 – a key event in the children’s rights calendar which brought together more than 90 children’s rights advocates, decision-makers and researchers from across Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey and Iceland.
Held in Edinburgh on 17 September 2024, the conference was hosted by Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights) in partnership with the ROCK Steering Group, and generously supported by Elevate Great (formerly Cattanach). It provided a vital space to share progress, tackle challenges and renew our shared commitment to realising children’s rights in law, policy and practice.
The day had four core goals: to highlight the need to strengthen children’s human rights protections in law at both UK and devolved levels; to share updates and learning across jurisdictions, including internationally; to re-energise support for UNCRC implementation through legal reform; and to strengthen connections between ROCK members to support collective advocacy.
Importantly, the event created space for honest conversations about the work still to do – and the practical steps needed to turn legal commitments into meaningful change. Whether in plenary discussions or the thoughtful questions submitted by children and young people, the message was clear: progress across the UK depends on action, accountability and collaboration.
The Post-Conference Report sets out a clear direction for what comes next. It calls for a coordinated UK-wide strategy to deliver incorporation in practice, stronger systems to monitor implementation, and meaningful involvement of babies, children and young people in decisions that affect them. It also highlights the need for closer collaboration across sectors and jurisdictions to share learning, build confidence and sustain momentum.
We are especially grateful to the children and young people who helped shape the day. Their insights reminded us – as they always do – why this work matters.