Today, Tuesday 16 July 2024, marks the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act moving to commencement phase. This is when decision makers and other duty bearers now must uphold children and young people’s rights as they are protected in Scots law.
This is a day that has been many years in the making and SYP, along with our partners, has been there every step of this journey to ensure young people’s rights are realised, such as through our ‘Right Here, Right Now’ campaign which launched in 2017.
Speaking about the Act coming into force today, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, Ellie Craig MSYP said:
I hope that the UNCRC (Incorporation (Scotland) Act coming into force today sends a message to children and young people that they live in a country which aims to respect their human rights.
Today is not an endpoint though, this is just the beginning of the next step of Scotland’s human rights journey. Scotland now moves from incorporation to implementation and this is a chance for decision makers to address the human rights issues impacting children and young people and create a culture where their rights and meaningful participation are put at the forefront of decision making.
I’m looking forward to supporting and, where needed, challenging decision makers to stand up for the rights of all children and young people in Scotland.
Ellie Craig MSYP, SYP Chair
Current and former leaders of SYP, who have led the organisation’s campaign on UNCRC since it officially launched in 2017, recorded a video to reflect on what today means for children and young people, as well as Scotland more widely:
SYP will continue to work alongside our partners as well as decision makers and the public sector to embed a rights-based approach throughout Scotland and to see the culture change necessary to make rights real. This includes further developing and promoting our resource to enable meaningful participation, ‘The Right Way’.
