PRESS RELEASE

March 4, 2010

Embargoed until March 5 2010 00.01

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.

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. 

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

ENDS

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

Katy Swaine, Chair, ROCK coalition

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 Child Rights Information Network (CRIN), the Children’s Legal Centre, the Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE), The Children’s Society, the Fatherhood Institute, the Howard League for Penal Reform, the National Youth Advocacy Service, the National Youth Agency, NCB, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Save the Children UK, Scope, the Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights, Sefton Voices, Shelter Children’s Legal Service, Unicef UK, Voice, Who Cares? Scotland and YoungMinds.  Details of individual coalition members are 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. For more information visit: www.crae.org.uk

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 http://www.scope.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

The Children’s Society is a leading children’s charity committed to making childhood better for all children in the UK. We take action to prevent, rescue and support children facing violence, neglect, poverty and discrimination in their daily lives. We give children the hope and confidence they need to face the future with optimism. We never turn away.  www.childrenssociety.org.uk

The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the world. We provide the only dedicated legal service for children in custody in England and Wales and draw on this expertise to campaign for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison. www.howardleague.org

The National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS), draws upon over 20 years of combined pioneering experience: providing advocacy and support to young people in care and legal representation and advice in private and public law matters. www.nyas.net

The Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights (SACR) is a charity that works to improve the awareness, understanding and implementation of children’s rights in Scotland.  We do this by:

• Promoting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC);
• Helping children’s organisations to integrate the convention into their work;
• Monitoring progress towards meeting standards set in the Convention.

SACR is an umbrella organisation, representing a range of members that include leading children’s charities such as Save the Children and Barnardo’s, local charities and play groups, and individuals including children’s rights officers, academics and parents.  For further information, visit www.sacr.org.uk