Date: 8th December 2015
Category: Protection from abuse or neglect

"Neglect is a complex issue but art can help, so let it" - this was one of the key messages to come out of the first of four Scottish Universities Insight Institute funded seminar sessions organised by WithScotland and the University of Dundee, exploring how arts-based techniques can be used in research and practice when interacting with neglected children.

Date: 8th December 2015
Category: General principles, Child poverty

The written declaration on investing in children is a 300 word text with four specific demands that required 376 signatures by MEPs from 7 September - 7 December 2015 to be published in the minutes of the European Parliament and forwarded to relevant EU institutions.

Date: 8th December 2015
Category: General measures of implementation, Right to life, survival and development, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Climate-related disaster and changing weather patterns increase the risk of malnutrition, vector-borne diseases such as malaria, and water and food-borne diarrhoea. According to the World Health Organisation, children suffer a much greater burden of these climate-related diseases than adults. Yet despite rhetoric about protecting our planet for future generations, children and their rights have been largely absent from COP21 negotiations.

Date: 8th December 2015
Category: Other human rights treaties and mechanisms

Plans to scrap the Human Rights Act have been delayed for a second time until 2016, Justice Secretary Michael Gove has confirmed.

Date: 8th December 2015
Category: General principles, Family Environment and Alternative Care, Civil Rights and Freedoms

Following public consultation earlier this year and an intensive period of joint working with organisations from across children's and adult services and parent groups, Scottish Government have made available the revised draft Statutory Guidance for the GIRFEC provisions. The new law and draft guidance aim to improve outcomes for children, young people and families by ensuring a consistent approach to how we support children's and young people's wellbeing wherever they live in Scotland. It is hoped that the draft guidance will enable services to operate effectively by:

Date: 8th December 2015
Category: Care Experienced children

The Children's Minister Aileen Campbell has announced new plans for looked after children which will aim to improve services and help ensure every child has a permanent home.

Date: 8th December 2015
Category: Non-discrimination

An updated version of the guidance on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has been produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Runnymede Trust.

Date: 8th December 2015
Category: Disabled children, Other human rights treaties and mechanisms, UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

To mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities last week, CRIN has published an analysis of the work of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in which they press for the rights of children with disabilities to be addressed with the same consistency and rigour as adults' rights.

Date: 8th December 2015
Category: Age of criminal responsibility

Together's Director has joined an advisory group set up by the Scottish Government to consider the policy, legislative and procedural implications of raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 8 to 12.

Date: 8th December 2015
Category: Child poverty

Together welcomes the adoption of the European Parliament Resolution Reducing inequalities with a special focus on child poverty. The resolution, adopted by large majority, is the formal endorsement of the 2013 European Commission Recommendation 'Investing in Children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage'. This is the first European Parliament resolution specifically on child poverty since 2008.

Date: 24th November 2015
Category: Equal protection from violence

A new extensive & systematic research report calls for all physical punishment of children to be prohibited by law in Scotland, amongst other policy recommendations.

Date: 24th November 2015
Category: General principles, Other human rights treaties and mechanisms

The statement was made by a number of European Commissioners and focuses on the post-2015 agenda, highlights a new EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, addresses the impact of the current refugee crisis on children and concludes with ways to promote children's rights worldwide.

Date: 24th November 2015
Category: General measures of implementation

Together's submission to the Scottish Parliament European and External Relations Committee outlines how the Human Rights Act (1998) (HRA) succeeds in respecting, protecting and fulfilling children's rights in Scotland and is clear that the HRA must not be repealed.

Date: 23rd November 2015
Category: Respect for the views of the child

On 18 and 19 November, Eurochild welcomed children from across Europe to Brussels to talk with Members of the European Parliament and European Commission officials about their involvement in decision-making processes.

Date: 17th November 2015
Category: Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC, Awareness-raising, General measures of implementation

Following a motion lodged by Roderick Campbell MSP, the Scottish Parliament debated the subject of Universal Children's Day on 17th November.

Date: 10th November 2015
Category: Child poverty

Research with nearly 1,000 young people finds that they strongly believe governments have a responsibility to protect their rights.

Date: 10th November 2015
Category: Scotland-specific monitoring and reporting

The SHRC Annual Report outlines another productive year for the Commission as it continues work to promote and protect human rights for everyone in Scotland.

Date: 10th November 2015
Category: Awareness-raising, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

Education Scotland are inviting contributions to the evaluation of its professional learning resource on children's rights, 'Recognising and Realising Children's Rights'.

Date: 10th November 2015
Category: Awareness-raising, Non-discrimination, Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC

Young, disabled and ethnic minority Scots face significantly more barriers to their rights than others, according to a new report titled 'Is Britain Fairer?'

Date: 9th November 2015
Category: Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC

The UK Joint Committee on Human Rights will be scrutinising every Government Bill for its compatibility with human rights obligations, such as those included in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and welcomes written submissions.