CRC concluding observations 2023, paragraph 8
Plain English recommendation
Government should:
(a) Take steps to fully incorporate the CRC into national laws in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies and review all laws to ensure that they are consistent with the CRC;
(b) Take action as soon as possible to pass the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill in Scotland;
(c) Think again about its decision to replace the Human Rights Act and if any changes are made to the Act, ensure that children’s rights are not undermined; ensure that children and civil society have a say in any changes to the Act; and publish the impact assessment on the Bill of Rights;
(d) Introduce a bill of rights for Northern Ireland;
(e) Develop a child-rights impact assessment process which must be used to review the effect of new laws and policies on children’s rights in England, Wales and Northern Ireland;
(f) Review the effect that leaving the European Union has had on children’s rights in the UK.
Original UN recommendation
The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Strengthen efforts to fully incorporate the Convention into national legislation in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies, and conduct a comprehensive review of all legislation to align it with the Convention and address any inconsistencies.
(b) Expeditiously bring forward the amendments necessary to enact the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill in Scotland;
(c) Reconsider its decision to replace the Human Rights Act and ensure that any revision to the act protects all the rights of the child in the Convention, provides effective judicial remedies, ensures a child rights-based approach, and follows transparent and participatory processes, including by ensuring the meaningful participation of civil society and children and publishing the impact assessment of the Bill of Rights;
(d) Enact a bill of rights for Northern Ireland;
(e) Develop mandatory child-rights impact assessment procedures for legislation and policies relevant to children in England, Northern Ireland and Wales;
(f) Assess the impact of the State party’s withdrawal from the European Union on the enjoyment of children’s rights.
Date of UN examination
18/05/2023
UN article number
4, 42, 44 (6)
Original UN document
Download the original CRC concluding observations 2023 on the UN website.