Getting Rights Right: New Report from Equalities and Human Rights Committee endorses Scottish Government’s commitment to incorporate UNCRC in Scots Law

Date: 4th December 2018
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, Incorporation

Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee has published its report on Human Rights in Scotland which welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to incorporate the principles of the UNCRC into Scots Law. The Committee calls for the commitment to be taken forward in this parliamentary session.

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Poverty and Inequality Commission present recommendations to support families affected by poverty in school holidays

Date: 4th December 2018
Category: Child poverty

In their recommendations to Scottish Government, the Poverty and Inequality Commission highlight the pressures faced by children and families living in poverty across Scotland during school holidays. As emphasised recently the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights following his 10-day visit to the UK, poverty is fundamentally a human rights violation and children are amongst those disproportionately impacted. As outlined in the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s new briefing , families face a range of pressures during the school holidays. These include food insecurity and childcare, but also relate to wider finances, play and activities, parenting, and social isolation. Such pressures have the strong potential to significantly compromise children’s rights to an adequate standard of living, care and play, to name a few, as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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700 Children and Young People takeover European Parliament on World Children’s Day to discuss Europe’s future with decision makers

Date: 4th December 2018
Category: Respect for the views of the child

To celebrate World Children's Day 2018, Eurochild , UNICEF , the European Parliament Intergroup on Children's Rights and 700 children and young people presented the results of the Europe Kids Want survey in the European Parliament.

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Consultation - Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill

Date: 4th December 2018
Category: Equal protection from violence

Closing date: 25 th January 2019

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Together celebrates Universal Children’s Day 2018

Date: 21st November 2018
Category: Awareness-raising, Incorporation

Together joined members from across Scotland to celebrate Universal Children’s Day on Tuesday 20 th November at the Children’s Parliament’s National Sitting in Edinburgh and YouthLink Scotland’s National Conference in Glasgow.

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Together meets with UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights to highlight the importance of incorporating the UNCRC to tackle child poverty

Date: 21st November 2018
Category: Child poverty

“Great misery has been inflicted […] on millions of children who are being locked into a cycle of poverty from which most will have great difficulty escaping.”

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UN launch consultation to raise minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 years old days after Scottish Parliament debate Bill to raise the age from 8 to 12 years old

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: General Comments, Age of criminal responsibility

The Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Bill - to raise the age from age 8 to 12 – was debated at Stage 1 by MSPs in Parliament on Tuesday 13 th November 2018.

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Scotland to become the first country to have LGBTI inclusive education, announces Deputy First Minister John Swinney

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: Education, including vocational education

Scotland will become the first country in the world to have "LGBTI-inclusive education" embedded in the curriculum, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Deputy First Minister John Swinney has told the Scottish Parliament .

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Young people’s voices placed at the heart of Scottish democracy

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: Respect for the views of the child

A new partnership agreement between the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Youth Parliament aims to ensure young people are involved at the heart of politics.

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Implications of the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: Equal protection from violence

A new article by Dr Louise Hill at Celcis presents international evidence supporting the proposed Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill and calls for regular public awareness campaigns to promote positive parenting and non-violent forms of discipline to ensure children’s equal right to human dignity and physical integrity is respected.

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