The Children’s Commissioners of the UK’s four nations have published their UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) mid-term review (5 November) assessing how the UK Government and devolved administrations have progressed towards giving every child opportunities and protections under the UNCRC.
This month marks the 30th anniversary of the Convention, a landmark agreement ratified by governments around the world to protect the rights of children.
The joint assessment by the Children’s Commissioners shows that although some progress has been made in the UK, recent changes to welfare measures, as well as economic and political uncertainty, has led to conditions affecting the rights of children including increased child poverty and access to children’s services.
The review reports that services face significant funding pressures and are not always able to provide the intensive or early help children need, arguing that the UK Government and its devolved governments can only uphold the rights of all children with adequate provision of these services.
The review also highlights serious concerns about deficiencies in keeping children safe from violence and abuse, including mistreatment in places meant to care for them, and exposure to risks in their communities.
The Commissioners use their assessment to call for children’s rights to be respected, and sets out specific priorities in each of the four nations for all children to be given the protections and opportunities to which they are entitled.
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, established to monitor and report on the implementation of the UNCRC, last reviewed the UK’s progress in 2016, and is scheduled to do so again in 2021.