New Children's Commissioner for Wales

The Welsh Children's Minister Jane Hutt has announced the appointment of Keith Towler as the new Children's Commissioner for Wales.

The role of the Commissioner is to act as an independent advocate for children and young people in Wales; championing their cause, and promoting their rights and welfare.

Keith Towler is currently Programme Director for Save the Children in Wales. He was appointed in May 2006 and has overall responsibility for Save the Childrens work in Wales including policy, advocacy, campaign, research and direct work with children and young people on poverty, protection, education, child rights and participation.

Mr Towler is also the current Chair of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Monitoring Group for Wales. The Group recently published the Wales Alternative Report on progress on child rights, which will be submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2008.

Formerly Director of Crime Reduction for Nacro (crime reduction charity covering England and Wales), Keith Towler worked in the fields of youth justice, community safety and criminal justice for over 20 years before joining Save the Children.