The four United Kingdom Children's Commissioners published a joint statement calling on the government to address all of the 'concluding observations' of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, published in 2008. Although the UN Committee had acknowledged that much had been achieved, the concluding observations provided a clear indication of the areas where it considered the UK needed to improve, including progress on child poverty.
Source: UK Children's Commissioners' Joint Position Statement on Progress on the 2008 United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child's Concluding Observations, Office of the Children's Commissioner (0844 8009113) and other Commissioners
Links: Statement | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Nov
The government published a long-term plan for the promotion of children's rights under the terms of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Source: Working Together, Achieving More: A joint commitment to take action in response to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's Concluding Observations, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Plan | DCSF press release
Date: 2009-Nov
A report by a joint committee of MPs and peers said that there should be a United Kingdom plan for implementing the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Source: Children's Rights, Twenty-fifth Report (Session 2008-09), HC 318 and HL 157, Joint Committee on Human Rights (House of Lords and House of Commons) Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | CLC press release | EDCM press release
Date: 2009-Nov
A report said that the government was breaching 'directly and systematically' several important rights for children in England – for example in matters of criminal justice, equality, media reporting, asylum-seeking, and child abuse.
Source: State of Children's Rights in England 2009, Children's Rights Alliance for England (020 7278 8222)
Links: CRAE press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Nov
The Scottish Government published an action plan on children's rights, designed to take forward the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child on children's rights in the United Kingdom (published in 2008). Action was promised in the areas of: improving the participation of children and young people in how their schools were organized and run; promoting positive parenting by working with local partners; improving support for young carers and children with disabilities; and improving outcomes for looked-after children.
Source: Do the Right Thing: For people who work with children or work on their behalf, Scottish Government (0131 556 8400) | Do the Right Thing: A report for under 18s on Scottish Government priorities in response to the UK Concluding Observations 2008, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Links: Action plan | Response to UN | SG press release
Date: 2009-Sep
A manifesto for children called for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to be made part of United Kingdom law; for the implementation of recommendations made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child; and for an end to child poverty by 2020.
Source: Manifesto for Children, UNICEF UK (020 7405 5592)
Links: Manifesto | UNICEF press release
Date: 2009-Jul
The children's watchdog for England published its annual report for 2008-09.
Source: Annual Report and Financial Statements 2008-2009, HC 734, Office of the Children's Commissioner, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report highlighted widespread discrimination against children and young people – for example, children being unfairly refused entry to public services such as libraries and museums, babies and parents being refused access to public transport, and ambulance services failing to take children's calls seriously. It called for the Equality Bill to be extended to cover children and young people.
Source: Making the Case: Why children should be protected from age discrimination and how it can be done, Young Equals, c/o Children's Rights Alliance for England (020 7278 8222)
Links: Report | CRAE press release
Date: 2009-Apr
A report said that just 55 per cent of local authorities in England had adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Knowledge about the Convention was 'far from consistent', and children's rights did not routinely inform either strategic planning or day-to-day work.
Source: Beyond Article 12: The local implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in England, Children's Rights Alliance for England (020 7278 8222)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Mar