Incorporation of the UNCRC puts children’s rights into the heart of everything we do.
It takes the international promises we’ve signed up to and gives them real force in Scotland.
It’s the most important thing Scotland can do to protect the rights of children and young people.
What is UNCRC incorporation?
Incorporation of the UNCRC means it gets written into a country’s law at a national level— a level known as domestic law.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill is currently before the Scottish Parliament, and will write the Convention into Scots law.
And when a Convention like this is incorporated into Scots law, it has more power to bring about change.
Often, this happens through cultural change.
But this is underpinned by the fact the law can be used in Scottish courts.
That means that the Scottish Government can be taken to court in Scotland if it doesn’t keep its UNCRC promises.
Our position on
Incorporation of the UNCRC
Scotland is in a unique position to introduce legislation that provides legal protections of UNCRC rights in Scots Law. This process is called incorporation.
The UNCRC is being incorporated into Scots law. This is how it’s going to make a difference
UNCRC Incorporation is the most important thing Scotland can do to protect the rights of children and young people. Now, it’s becoming a reality.
“A new baseline for how all adults in Scotland must respect and promote rights”—a children’s social worker reflects on UNCRC Incorporation
Rebecca Laing, a children’s services social worker in Angus Council advocates for children every day. She knows that incorporation will bring changes for the children she works with— and in this short blog for us, she sets out why these changes matter.