UNCRC statement

Statement

The Independent Care Review welcomes the news that Scotland will incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into law to the maximum extent possible within the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

The Care Review heard a lot about issues relating to rights in its Discovery stage and set up the Rights work group to make sure that the rights of infants, children and young people who experience the ‘care system’ in Scotland are known to them, respected and upheld.

One of the Care Review’s 12 Intentions states that infants, children and young people’s rights will be part of normal everyday life, practice and decision making, and the Scottish Government’s announcement is a further step in the right direction to making sure that happens.

The Care Review has heard many times from care experienced people about how often their rights have been ignored or undermined, and as the Review prepares to present its conclusions in early 2020, this commitment is further encouragement that Scotland is ready to embrace positive changes that will help make the country the best place for all children to grow up.