The Children’s Rights Bill was due to receive its second reading in the House of Lords today and bring hope for rights protection to some of the UK’s most vulnerable children.  Unfortunately the Bill will not be debated today due to lack of time, but Baroness Walmsley is hopeful of getting an alternative date for the debate later this month.

The Bill would make the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) part of UK law and ensure all policy and practice is made in the best interests of all children.  There has been progress in some areas, but nearly 20 years after the UK ratified the CRC, children are still subject to violations of their rights.  

The CRC sets out the rights that all children need to thrive. In 2008, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concern over many areas of children’s lives in the UK. The Committee made over 100 recommendations for reform, including that the UK should incorporate the Convention into domestic law.

Children have a particular set of rights due to the fact that they are vulnerable and need the protection of adults and the Government when they are growing up.

The Bill is supported by the Rights of the Child UK coalition (ROCK). Read more about the Bill and ROCK here.

Anita Tiessen, UNICEF UK Deputy Executive Director, said, “The UK government ratified the Convention nearly 20 years ago – now it the time to take the next step and make it part of our domestic law. We hope that, today, the House of Lords will action real change for some of our most vulnerable children.”

Katy Swaine, Chair, ROCK coalition, said, “Children have distinct needs which is why they have their own human rights convention.   The Children’s Rights Act would bring the Convention within the reach of all children whatever their circumstances or setting.”

Fergus Drake, Director of UK Programmes, Save the Children UK, added, “It is unacceptable that four million children live in poverty in the UK today. Such a wholesale denial of the right to an adequate standard of living 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.”

Making the CRC part of UK law would have a positive impact on all aspects of children’s lives and their well-being. For example,

Child Poverty The CRC requires the State to recognise the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development. The UK falls short of this requirement, with four million children living in poverty. Incorporation would ensure that the Government would be bound to invest the maximum extent of its available resources in eradicating child poverty.

Children in custody The UK incarcerates more children than most other western countries. Since 1990, 30 children have died in custody. Children in jail experience the over-use of physical force and deliberate infliction of pain, strip searching and segregation. Incorporation would ensure that custody would only be a last resort, for the shortest period of time and that the rights of children in custody are respected.

Refugee and asylum seeking children  This group of children faces substantial inequality of treatment in comparison with others. Incorporation would guarantee a more straightforward legal process to determine their immigration application, adequate systems to address their accommodation and living needs and decision-making that would fully act upon their best interests.

Mental health 1 in 10 children have a diagnosable mental health problem but only 25% have access to the treatment they need. For young people to have a voice and feel empowered they need to know what is happening to them. Incorporation would make agencies, such as hospitals, legally bound to the CRC and ensure that children get information about what options are available, who they are talking to and what to do if they want a second opinion.

Housing for children There are nearly two million children living in poor housing in England today. Incorporation would help protect children’s right to access the decent, secure and affordable housing that is vital to their well-being.

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 CRC part of UK law would make the Convention justiciable in the UK courts.