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1. Introduction
In October 2008 the United Nations Committee for the Rights of the Child made a series of recommendations to the UK government (known as Concluding Observations) most of which are directly relevant to Scotland.
The Scottish Government prepared a draft response to each of the recommendations from the UN Committee, taking account of domestic NGOs and the Children's Commissioner. In December 2008 the Scottish Government began a consultation exercise to find out which were considered the most important issues for priority action and whether the Government's response was considered proportionate and realistic.
The Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights ( SACR) was asked by the government to organise four seminars designed to allow professionals and interested parties in Scotland to gather together to discuss these questions in depth. Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People and the Children's Rights Officers' Network worked with SACR in organising the events. The seminars sat alongside a consultation organised by Young Scot with young people and the wider consultation was made available through the distribution of the draft response.
The four seminars took place over January and February 2009 in:
- Glasgow: addressed by Kathleen Marshall, Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People and Professor Martyn Rouse, Chair in Social & Educational Inclusion, University of Aberdeen
- Dundee: addressed by Adam Ingram, MSP, Minister for Children and Early Years and Tam Baillie, Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights
- Edinburgh: addressed by Adam Ingram, MSP, Minister for Children and Early Years and Professor Bill Whyte, Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre for Scotland
- Inverness: addressed by Kathleen Marshall, Scottish Commissioner for Children and Young People and Dr John McKendrick, Director, Scottish Poverty Information Unit
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