Launch of UNICEF report on embedding the UNCRC into law

Date: 20th November 2012
Category: UK 1st periodic review
Author: UNICEF

UNICEF UK marked Universal Children's Day on 20 November by launching its new research on how different countries implement children's rights.

The report, titled 'The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): a study of legal implementation in 12 countries' looks at the implementation of the Convention in countries beyond the UK to compile evidence of the most effective and impactful ways of embedding children's rights into domestic law and policy.

The 12 countries were chosen to demonstrate the variety of ways in which different countries have chosen to legislate for children's rights and to implement the different articles of the Convention. It provides an international context against which to compare progress in the UK, in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

At UNICEF, children's rights are our core purpose and seeing them realised is our fundamental aim. Although our research report shows there is no single, prescribed approach to implementation, it does indicate that incorporation of the CRC into domestic law provides a platform from which other child rights measures flow.

Although incorporation is not an obligation in international law, our research shows that it can be done and it works.

• Read the full report here.