Championing children’s rights in Scotland

Ensuring the health and wellbeing of children in Scotland is our biggest opportunity to see a Scotland where everybody thrives.

On the 16th of July 2024 the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 comes into force in Scotland. This means that children’s rights, as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), will be legally protected in Scotland.  The UNCRC is the most comprehensive statement of children’s rights ever produced and is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty in history.

Childhood represents a special time in our lives when we must have additional protections. These protections safeguard the best start in life for children and create the foundations for good health into adulthood and older age. Preventing disease and promoting wellbeing for children and young people will prolong healthy life and reduce health inequalities for generations to come.

The UNCRC incorporates civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all children are entitled to. These rights reflect children’s entitlement to the building blocks of health and what we all want for children we love and care for. Good education, high quality and affordable housing, sufficient income and access to healthcare services are essential for our health and wellbeing. These wider determinants of health are key to ensuring that the health and wellbeing of children and young people is realised, now and in the future.

Public Health Scotland welcomes the incorporation of UNCRC and the protection that this ensures for children’s rights in Scotland. Not only will it mean that children and young people’s rights can be enforced, but it will also mean that public authorities must take steps to progressively realise children’s rights in decisions and action.

Paul Johnston, Chief Executive, Public Health Scotland said:

“Recognising and upholding children’s rights in Scotland presents a significant opportunity to ensure that children and young people have the best start in life, and the best future. As adults, and duty bearers, we are entrusted with the most privileged responsibility to ensure that children’s needs are met whatever their ethnicity, gender, religion, language, abilities or any other status. Through our practice, Public Health Scotland will do what we can to realise children’s rights and we will work with our partners to champion our shared responsibilities and commitment to improving outcomes for all children and young people”.

Further information about the legislation is available here:

Leaflet: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill: leaflet 

Getting ready for UNCRC Incorporation Framework: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

NHS National Education Scotland (NES) has recently launched this e-learning module on Turas: Childrens rights (uncrc) | turas | learn (nhs.scot). This introductory course on children’s rights provides information on the background to children’s rights, children’s rights law and the importance of children’s rights in the development of policy.