(The Parliamentary Under
Secretary of State for Children and
Families): Today is Universal Children’s Day, a day
that marks the anniversary of the date that the UN General
Assembly adopted both the Declaration and the Convention on the
Rights of the Child.
The UK is a proud and long-standing signatory of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and this
Government remains fully committed to the promotion and
safeguarding of children’s rights.
The UNCRC sets out an enduring vision for all children to grow up
in a loving, safe and happy environment where they can develop
their full potential, regardless of their background. This
Government shares that vision and is dedicated to providing the
best possible opportunities for all children but especially those
who have the hardest start in life.
It has now been over 2 years since the UN scrutinised the UK’s
progress in implementing the UNCRC and published their Concluding
Observations. Since the last report, the UK Government has
continued to raise its ambitions for all children and has made
concrete progress in making sure that all children have the
opportunity to thrive and develop.
For example, my Department has:
- Strengthened the quality and range of support for society’s
most vulnerable children through the Children and Social Work Act
2017;
- Revised the ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ guidance
to better safeguard and promote the welfare of children;
- Improved support for children’s mental health in schools;
and,
- We are making Relationships and Sex Education compulsory for
all secondary school pupils so that young people learn what
healthy, safe and respectful relationships look like.
We, as parliamentarians, all play a role in building a fairer
society where children can lead happy lives and fulfil their
potential. I urge all Government Departments to consider what
more you can do to make sure your policies promote the best
interests of the child. To help Government Departments to do
this, we are proud to be launching a comprehensive children’s
rights training package across Government today, which has been
developed with the support of children’s rights experts. I
strongly encourage my ministerial colleagues to encourage the
civil servants in their Departments to take up this training so
that children’s rights are further embedded in policy and law
making.
In 2010, the UK Government made a commitment to give due
consideration to the UNCRC when making policy and legislation. As
we approach the 30th anniversary of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, I would like to reaffirm
the value that this Government places on the UNCRC and our
ongoing commitment to give due consideration to the UNCRC when
making policy and legislation.
