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More than 70 organisations have called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Government to put children’s rights at the centre of its plans to develop a more preventative state.
A joint letter, led by the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, part of Just for Kids Law, congratulates the Prime Minister on his appointment and urges the Government to renew its commitment to children’s rights. The signatories include UNICEF UK, the National Children’s Bureau, the Alliance for Youth Justice, Save the Children UK, Together and New Horizon Youth Centre.
The organisations argue that fully incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into UK law would help ensure children’s rights are considered across Government decision-making, improve outcomes for children and young people, and support the Government’s ambition to develop a more preventative approach.
As an immediate step, the coalition is calling for Child Rights Impact Assessments (CRIAs) to be placed on a statutory footing. Mandatory CRIAs would require the potential impact of Government policies on children’s rights to be considered at an early stage, helping to identify and mitigate policies that could adversely affect children.
The organisations also argue that statutory CRIAs would provide a mechanism for children’s views to be considered more directly in policymaking. Their call follows the Covid Inquiry’s Module 2 report, which found that children were too often overlooked during the pandemic and concluded that stronger mechanisms were needed to ensure their rights were properly considered.
While welcoming the previous Government’s commitment to increasing awareness and use of CRIAs, the coalition said voluntary assessments had resulted in inconsistent practice across Government. It argues that legislation is therefore needed to ensure children’s rights are embedded consistently in policymaking.
The organisations are also calling for the Government to set out a clear roadmap towards full incorporation of the UNCRC into UK law as part of its forthcoming 10-year plan for Britain.
The breadth of organisations supporting the letter reflects wider calls for children’s rights and children’s voices to play a greater role in Government policy. The coalition said it looked forward to working with the Prime Minister and ministers on developing a rights-based approach to policymaking, with the aim of ensuring children have a good childhood and the opportunity to thrive.
