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SECTION 1: MAKING RIGHTS HAPPEN
There are just over 1 MILLION UNDER 18S IN SCOTLAND.
That's 20% OF SCOTLAND'S POPULATION.
The Government tried in the past 5 years to THINK ABOUT WHAT CHILDREN'S RIGHTS MEAN WHEN THEY ARE MAKING DECISIONS AND PASSING LAWS THAT WILL AFFECT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE. Some examples of how children's rights are becoming a part of how we do things in Scotland are:
- The law says that school education should help you develop to your full potential.
- If you are a young carer you have more rights to get the help you need.
- Adults who have harmed children must not get a job working with children.
- Shops or restaurants are not allowed to stop a mum from breastfeeding her baby.
- The law helps protect the rights of children and young people who speak Gaelic.
- When a child is being adopted it is what's best for the child that matters most.
- Smoking in public places is banned, protecting children from passive smoking.
The Government said that it wants young people in Scotland to be CONFIDENT, to be SUCCESSFUL LEARNERS and to MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS to their school and community. The Government also said that young people need to be SAFE, LOOKED AFTER BY CARING ADULTS, HEALTHY, ACTIVE, RESPECTED and INCLUDED if they are to DO THEIR BEST.
RIGHTS BELONG TO EVERYONE. The Government knows that life can be tougher for some young people and they need to do better to help them have their rights.
To help keep the promises made to young people about their rights the Government set up SCOTLAND'S COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE; called SCCYP. The Children's Commissioner is Kathleen Marshall. Kathleen and her team are INDEPENDENT of the Government. They want young people to tell them about what's happening when it comes to their rights. There's more about SCCYP at www.sccyp.org.uk
The Government also plans to set up a SCOTTISH COMMISSION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. It will look after everyone's human rights and make sure the Scottish Parliament and the new Scottish Government do their best to make Scotland fair, safe and peaceful. This new Commission will work with the Children's Commissioner.
It's worth remembering that the UNCRC isn't actually the law in Scotland; but the Government says it will try its best to make sure everything it does will help make children's rights happen here. Although the UNCRC isn't the law the EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS is part of the law in Scotland. As a young person you have the same human rights as adults.
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