A coalition of children’s charities is calling on the UK Government to urgently put children at the heart of its agenda following a critical United Nations report on children’s rights in the UK, published today (Friday 2nd June).
While the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child notes some areas of progress from their 2016 report, including action to outlaw child marriage, the independent review of children’s social care and the commitment to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, it highlights a wide range of issues that are detrimentally impacting children. The UN Committee raises concern about the high numbers of children living in poverty, long waiting lists for children seeking mental health services, and the high prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violence against children. It also shines a light on how the Government is failing to respect the rights of the most vulnerable, including children seeking asylum or those in contact with the criminal justice system.
Children’s rights are the basic things children need to thrive – the right to an adequate standard of living, an education, to play, be healthy, and be cared for. They should act as a safety net – meaning that children always receive minimum standards of treatment. But the coalition of charities, co-ordinated by the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE), says that the UN Committee’s verdict shows how too often decisions are made without proper consideration of how they affect children.
The UN Committee make a number of recommendations to the UK Government, including that it must:
- Implement targeted policies and programmes to combat racism and eliminate discrimination against children belonging to ethnic minority groups.
- Strengthen measures aimed at tackling violence against children, including by implementing the recommendations of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse and ensure the Victims Bill clearly defines child criminal exploitation.
- Allocate sufficient resources for the implementation of the recommendations of the independent review of children’s social care, including the provision of advocacy services for all children as an “opt-out” service.
- Urgently address the long waiting times for accessing mental health services and ensure availability of community-based therapeutic mental health services and programmes for children of all ages.
- Urgently amend the Illegal Migration Bill to repeal all draft provisions that would have the effect of violating children’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 1951 Refugee Convention to ensure children’s right to nationality, to seek asylum and to have their best interests taken as a primary consideration, as well as to prevent their prolonged detention and removal.
- Reform the child justice system so it respects children’s rights, including by raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years of age and ensuring that detention is used as a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible period of time.
The coalition of charities are calling for urgent Government action to address the issues raised by the UN Committee and implement its recommendations by putting children at the centre of its decision-making by appointing a senior Cabinet level minister with responsibility for children’s rights alongside publishing a children’s rights action plan.
Louise King, Director of the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, part of Just for Kids Law:
“This damning UN report shows that this country is failing children leaving many to face mental health issues, live in poverty or experience violence and abuse without the help and support they need. It’s imperative the Government takes urgent action to address the UN’s concerns by publishing a child rights action plan, with a clear road map for how it will meaningfully improve the daily experiences of our most vulnerable children and appoint a Cabinet Minister for Children to drive the changes so desperately needed.”
Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive, UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK)
“Since the last review of the UK by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child 7 years ago, children have faced unprecedented change and challenge that have impacted their rights. UNICEF UK shares the concerns raised about how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting early childhood, the worrying effect of the Illegal Migration Bill on child rights, and the UK’s role internationally in supporting children’s rights everywhere. Along with others we urge the government to respond with a clear and ambitious implementation action plan to address the issues raised and demonstrate its leadership on protecting the rights of all children.”
Dr Carol Homden CBE, Chief Executive, Coram:
“A rights-based approach to ensuring the welfare of children in the UK is of vital importance, but it is only meaningful if it is applied equally to all children, regardless of their nationality or immigration status. We particularly welcome the UN Committee’s recommendation that the UK Government urgently amend the Illegal Migration Bill to bring it into line with international human rights law and to prevent it from violating children’s rights. We must act now to prevent regression on areas such as the detention of children seeking safety. Children deserve better than this.”
Sarah Wayman, Head of Systemic Impact, The Children’s Society:
“We welcome the concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, including its observation that the UK has yet to provide guardians for all separated children. The Youth-led Commission on Separated Children, organised by young people previously supported by The Children’s Society, have long campaigned to ensure all children arriving alone in the UK receive the support of an independent legal guardian. Such guardianship schemes exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not England and Wales. A guardian supports a young person to navigate the complex asylum process, advocates for their best interests and is critical to the safety and wellbeing of a child. It is time the UK government listens to the voices of young people and implements the UN’s observation.”
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group:
“We share the UN Committee’s “deep concern” expressed about the “large number” of children living in poverty in the UK. The recommendations the UN Committee has made for the government to increase social security support for families, particularly in light of the rising costs of living, and to abolish both the two child limit and the benefit cap, reflect the key changes we know need to happen if we want to tackle the unacceptable levels of child poverty that currently exist in the UK. Without these changes, alongside a detailed plan for ending child poverty, this generation will be left without the starts in life that they need to flourish in the future, and without the safety and security that all children deserve.”
Read the full UNCRC report here.
Notes to editors
[1] The UK ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1991, yet there’s still no cross-government strategy to implement children’s rights or a senior government minister with responsibility for children’s rights.
[2] By ratifying the UNCRC, a State agrees to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child – an independent body of child rights experts – regularly examining its progress on how it is fulfilling its obligations under the Convention every 4-6 years.
[3] The UK’s examination of the combined 6th and 7th periodic report of the UK took place at the 93rd session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on 18th and 19th May 2023. The UN report is available here. The UK was last examined by the UN Committee in 2016.
About the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) and Just for Kids Law
CRAE seeks the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in England. Our vision is of a society where the human rights of all children are recognised and realised. CRAE merged into the charity Just for Kids Law in 2015.
Just for Kids Law is a UK charity that works with and for children and young people to hold those with power to account and fight for wider reform by providing legal representation and advice, direct advocacy and support, and campaigning to ensure children and young people in the UK have their legal rights and entitlements respected and promoted and their voices heard and valued.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.
About Coram Children's Legal Centre (CCLC)
Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC), part of the Coram group of charities, is an independent charity working in the UK and around the world to protect and promote the rights of children. The Migrant Children’s Project at CCLC provides specialist advice and legal representation to migrant and refugee children and young people on a wide variety of issues related to immigration, asylum, care and services, as well as the publication of free legal information online and in guides; research and policy work; law reform; and training.
About The Children’s Society
The Children's Society fights for the hope and happiness of young people when it's threatened by abuse, exploitation and neglect. The Children’s Society witness the hope and courage in young people every day, and it inspires the organisation to support them through their most serious life challenges.
About Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG)
Child Poverty Action Group works on behalf of the more than one in four children in the UK growing up in poverty. It doesn’t have to be like this. We use our understanding of what causes poverty and the impact it has on children’s lives to campaign for policies that will prevent and solve poverty – for good. We provide training, advice and information to make sure hard-up families get the financial support they need. We also carry out high profile legal work to establish and protect families’ rights.