Baroness Joan Walmsley will today introduce the Children’s Rights Bill in the House of Lords which would make the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child part of UK law.

Twenty years ago the UN adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UK ratified the Convention in 1991 making it legally binding on the UK Government. Bringing the Convention into UK national law would mean that the Government would have to act in the best interests of the child in all policy and practice and new laws would be ‘children’s rights’ proofed.

The UK Government has taken some significant steps to uphold children’s rights, including the introduction of the first Cabinet Minister and Department for Children, Schools and Families, but more must be done. Last year the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child criticised the Government’s failure to implement the Convention in many areas of children’s lives, particularly for some of the most vulnerable children, in conflict with the law and subject to immigration control.  The Committee made over 100 recommendations for reform.

It is clear that children’s rights are still being denied in the UK:

• 4 million children are living below the poverty line.
• While 1 in 10 children have a diagnosable mental health problem, only around 25% have access to the treatment they need.
• The UK incarcerates more children than most other western countries – currently over 2,500 children are in jail.  Conditions in custody are regularly criticised by independent inspectors, including the over-use of physical force and deliberate infliction of pain, strip searching and segregation.
• The UK has the second worst infant mortality rate of the 24 wealthiest countries in the world.

“Today, through this Bill, the UK’s children claim the rights that they need in order to lead happy and fulfilled lives.  We call on Parliament to pass the Bill and give all children, whatever their setting or circumstances, an effective remedy for violations of the rights that belong to them.  There is no more powerful way to improve the lives of children in this country,” said Katy Swaine, Chair of the ROCK coalition.

“The Children’s Rights Act would be a massive step forward for children – ensuring their best interests are put at the heart of any government’s plans for child-centred policy, law and practice. Bringing the convention into UK national law would demonstrate how seriously the UK takes the protection and nurturing of its children. Every child is entitled to the rights outlined in the UNCRC which recognises that children need special care and protection from adults and government when they are growing up,” said Anita Tiessen, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF UK.

"It is unacceptable that 4 million children live in poverty in the UK today. Such a wholesale denial of the right to a decent start in life for our children shames our nation and our political leaders. The time is up for paying lip service to our international obligations on children's rights: our children deserve so much more. We commend Baroness Walmsley's efforts to give children in poverty the power of the law to uphold their fundamental rights, and wish her every success as she makes her arguments to the House of Lords,” said Fergus Drake, Director of UK Programmes, Save the Children UK.

"Putting children’s rights into UK law would help ensure that professionals see, speak and listen to abused and neglected children and give them the protection they need.  This Bill is long overdue," added Diana Sutton, Head of Public Affairs, NSPCC 

The UNCRC sets out the rights that all children need to thrive. Existing legal mechanisms to hold the Government and public authorities to account for protecting all children are under-used, largely due to lack of awareness among the public, including children, lawyers, the courts and decision-makers.  Making the UNCRC part of UK law would make the Convention justiciable in the UK courts. 

The Bill has been drafted with the support of the Rights of the Child UK coalition (ROCK) members.  It is expected to be published and available for download here from Friday 20 November.  Read more about the coalition and the Bill here.

For further information and to arrange interviews please contact: Alicia Jones, UNICEF Media Officer, on 020 7375 6117 (office) or 07738 014271 (mobile) or email aliciaj@unicef.org.uk

Interviews available with:

Baroness Walmsley

Notes to Editors

ROCK (Rights of the Child UK) is a UK-wide coalition seeking the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into UK law.  The coalition’s member organisations are: Article 12 in Scotland, the British Humanist Association, the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education, the Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE), the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN), the Fatherhood Institute, the National Youth Advocacy Service, the National Youth Agency, NCB, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), Scope, Save the Children UK, the Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights, Sefton Voices and UNICEF UK.  A list of individual members is available upon request.

The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views of all members.

UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights in more than 190 countries. As champion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF works to help every child realise their full potential. Together with our partners, UNICEF delivers health care, nutrition, education and protection to children in urgent need, while working with governments to ensure they deliver on their promise to protect and promote the rights of every child. UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations from individuals, governments, institutions and corporations, and is not funded by the UN budget. For more information, please visit www.unicef.org.uk.

The Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) is a coalition of over 270 organisations and individuals committed to the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in England.  CRAE protects the human rights of children by lobbying government and others who hold power, by bringing or supporting test cases and by using regional and international human rights mechanisms. CRAE provides free legal information and advice, raises awareness and undertakes research about children’s access to their rights. CRAE mobilises others, including children and young people, to take action to promote and protect children's human rights. Each year CRAE publishes a review of the State of Children’s Rights in England.

Save the Children fights for vulnerable children in the UK and around the world who suffer from poverty, disease, injustice and violence. We work with them to find lifelong answers to the problems they face. We work to ensure that the rights of children in the UK are protected, promoted and respected in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and other international human rights instruments.

The NSPCC is the UK’s leading children's charity specialising in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children. The NSPCC’s purpose is to end cruelty to children FULL STOP. Its vision is of a society where all children are loved, valued and able to fulfill their potential. The NSPCC runs projects and services across the United Kingdom and Channel Islands, including ChildLine, the UK’s free, confidential 24-hour helpline for children and young people.

Scope is a disability charity, with a focus on children and adults with cerebral palsy and people with complex support needs. Our purpose is to drive the changes that will make our society the first in which disabled people are able to realise their full civil liberties and human rights. The UNCRC is the first human rights treaty to explicitly prohibit discrimination against children on the basis of disability. To find out more about Scope’s work visit www.timetogetequal.org.uk

National Children’s Bureau’s mission is to advance the well-being of all children and young people across every aspect of their lives.  As a membership and infrastructure support agency for the children’s sector in England and Northern Ireland, NCB provides essential information on policy, research and best practice for our members and the members of our wide range of partnership bodies which operate under our charitable status and are based in our London headquarters. For further information visit www.ncb.org.uk

The National Youth Agency (NYA) supports those involved in young people's personal and social development, working to enable all young people to fulfill their potential. The national expert and development organisation in youth policy and youth work, the NYA promotes professionalism in the youth sector, partnering organisations seeking to secure better policies and outcomes for young people. www.nya.org.uk