Together gives evidence to the UN Committee in Geneva!

Date: 13th February 2023
Category: Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC, Incorporation

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Together has just returned from an action-packed few days in Geneva, where we joined children, young people and other adult human rights defenders to give evidence to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of #TeamScotlandUN.

Arden and Omima (Members of the Children’s Parliament) and Beau and Daisy (Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament) raised key children’s rights issues with the UN Committee – including the need for urgent action from UK and Scottish Government to ensure incorporation of the UNCRC into Scots law without delay.

In the lead up to the meetings, Beau Johnston MSYP said:

“In the time it is taking to protect young people’s rights in law, many young people, who have campaigned for this issue their entire childhood such as myself and Daisy, have missed the opportunity to experience the benefits of their campaigning as they are no longer children.

“In taking this long to protect our rights in law, the Scottish government have denied many young people their rights. In Geneva, team Scotland will be raising this issue with the UN Committee.”

Omima MCP said

“It’s harder to ignore what children are saying when we are face to face with the UN, I hope the issues we speak about will be addressed back in Scotland”

The MCPs and MSYPs took part in two evidence sessions – the children’s meeting (closed to adults except for UN Committee members), and the pre-session (alongside civil society organisations, Children’s Commissioners and national human rights institutions). They presented a report to the UN Committee which set out their calls in more detail:

• Read the children and young people’s report here.

Together gave evidence on behalf the 78 organisations that supported our State of Children’s Rights Report 2023, launched a day earlier. This report includes over 90 recommendations on a range of issues from health, to education, to play.

• Read the State of Childrens’ Rights Report 2023 here.

The meetings took place as the UN Committee prepares to review the UK’s children’s rights record in May 2023. The children’s meeting and pre-session allow the UN Committee to hear directly from rights holders and human rights organisations about what life is really like for children and young people. This helps the UN Committee decide what questions to ask officials from UK and devolved governments when they meet in several months. It also helps the UN Committee begin to identify what recommendations it should make to secure positive change.

• Read more about the review process here.