First Minster announces plan to incorporate UNCRC within next 2 years

Date: 30th April 2019
Category: General measures of implementation, Incorporation, General principles, Scotland-specific monitoring and reporting

---

The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has committed to incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law within the next two years. In her keynote speech to the SNP conference, the First Minister said:

“This year is the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The UN is campaigning for all nations to commit to it…. Our plan is this… by the end of this Parliament we will have incorporated the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law.”

Incorporation will mean that children and young people’s rights will become binding, rather than just guiding, on all levels of government. The announcement has been widely welcomed and celebrated across Together’s membership who recognise the culture change that incorporation can bring, and the impact it will have on children, young people and their families across Scotland. Together, and many others across Scotland, have been campaigning for incorporation for many years and this announcement is seen as a huge step forward.

The Scottish Government will be launching a consultation on incorporation in May. Together will be encouraging and supporting as many people as possible to get involved and respond. Our #RightTime blog series will be running throughout May to help raise awareness and understanding of the importance of the UNCRC and how incorporation will improve the lives of children, young people and their families across Scotland.

• Read more about incorporation in this briefing for members.
• Find out about the Children’s Rights (Scotland) Bill which shows how the UNCRC could be incorporated into Scots Law.