Date: 5th June 2019
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

In a project conducted by the Human Rights Clinic at University of Edinburgh in partnership with Together, LLM students explored the role of CRWIA (Children’s Rights and Well-being Impact Assessment) in improving rights-based decision-making. Two groups of students explored various international examples of impact assessments and drew learning to analyse the effectiveness of CRWIA in Scotland.

Date: 5th June 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms, UN Convention Against Torture (CAT), Other human rights treaties and mechanisms

The mosquito device has been branded as a ‘successful’ deterrent for anti-social behaviour. It is used to deter loitering of young people by emitting sound at high frequency, so it can be heard mostly by younger people. Mosquito  devices have been overtly condemned by the UN, Council of Europe and the Children’s Commissioner all requesting that they be banned, yet on 30th May 2019 another device has been discovered at Edinburgh’s Waverley Mall.

Date: 5th June 2019
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, General measures of implementation, Other human rights treaties and mechanisms, Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC, Funding

A new report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) explores the impact on equality and human rights of the UK government proposal of replacing EU Structural Funds with a ‘UK Shared Prosperity Fund’ when we leave the EU.

Date: 5th June 2019
Category: Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC

Together, along with Child Rights Connect, presented a joint submission with the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education of the Dublin City University Institute of Education and  the Centre for Children’s Rights at Queen’s University Belfast on the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s concept note for a General Comment on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment.

Date: 5th June 2019
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Family Environment and Alternative Care

The Scottish Government has published a report on progress and setting out actions agreed at the Cabinet meeting with children and young people in March 2018.

Date: 4th June 2019
Category: Protection from abuse or neglect, Family Environment and Alternative Care

On Tuesday 28th May, MSPs overwhelmingly backed in principle a bill to give children equal protection from assault. MSPs voted by 80 to 29 in favour of the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill, with only the Conservatives voting against, after its first stage debate.

Date: 4th June 2019
Category: Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

This report investigates the improvement of language ability during the primary school years and identifies factors which appear to help and hinder improvement over this period.

Date: 4th June 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights released his final report from his visit to the UK late last year. UN Special Rapporteur, Phillip Alston, details just how austerity measures have negatively affected society in the UK and that "the bottom line is that much of the glue that has held British society together since the Second World War has been deliberately removed and replaced with a harsh and uncaring ethos."

Date: 4th June 2019
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms

On Friday, 14th June, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, will present the UN Human Rights Report 2018 OHCHR's latest yearly report on its human rights work around the world. Page 9 of the report talks about child human rights defenders advising the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Date: 4th June 2019
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, General measures of implementation

In an effort to keep mainstreaming child rights in the work of the Special Rapporteur, Child Rights Connect and its members worked jointly on a submission highlighting some of the main challenges faced by children human rights defenders to combat impunity.

Date: 3rd June 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms

Eurochild, along with 15 other NGOs, is advocating to create a new Children's Rights Intergroup in the European Parliament. 

Date: 29th May 2019
Category: Bullying, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

respectme compiled a list of free anti-bullying teaching materials and campaign resources that will help you spark conversations with young people about the importance of positive and respectful relationships. 

Date: 23rd May 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Delays in UN membership contributions by Member States are putting human rights, including children’s rights, at risk, according to the global network Child Rights Connect.

Date: 23rd May 2019
Category: General measures of implementation

The speech highlighted positive advancements in the area of child participation, but also showed concern with the work of the Committee being under threat. 

Date: 22nd May 2019
Category: Incorporation

We warmly welcome the launch of the Scottish Government’s consultation on the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law. We particularly welcome the clear commitment that legislation is delivered within this parliamentary session and agree with the Scottish Government that incorporation has the potential to transform the experience of children, young people and their families across Scotland.

Date: 17th May 2019
Category: Age of criminal responsibility

MSPs have voted to pass the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Bill. The Bill raises the minimum age at which a child can be held criminally accountable from eight years (the lowest in Europe) to 12. However, it falls short of international recommendations that the minimum age should be at least 14 years. 

Date: 17th May 2019
Category: Equal protection from violence, Restraint, UN Convention Against Torture (CAT), Child justice system

On 6th May, Together presented oral evidence to the UN Committee against Torture, highlighting key concerns around the strip searching of children and young people, inappropriate placement in detention and mental health provision.

Date: 17th May 2019
Category: General measures of implementation, Child rights indicators, Child rights impact assessments

Adolescence is now increasingly recognised as a significant period in human development. It is also a life stage when young people begin to engage more actively in the exercise of their rights and to seek to influence more of the decisions that affect them.

Date: 17th May 2019
Category:

A majority of MSPs on the Scottish Parliament Equalities and Human Rights Committee have backed the proposal to reform the law to end physical punishment. The Committee released their Stage 1 Report after hearing overwhelming evidence from police, health professionals, social workers and teachers that physical punishment of children doesn’t work and can do harm.

Date: 16th May 2019
Category: General principles, Incorporation, Awareness-raising

The KidsRights Index is the annual global index published by the KidsRights Foundation which charts how countries adhere to and are equipped to improve children’s rights.