UN Convention on Rights of the Child

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international agreement between 193 member states of the UN. The UNCRC spells out the rights that should be afforded to all children and young people under 18.

In Scotland we have an advocate for the rights of children and young people, called Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People (SCCYP) – Her name is Nicola Killean. The SCCYP describes the UNCRC as being about the 4 Ps:

Provision – there should be things for children and young people to do, including educational and leisure facilities, and other services for children and young people
Protection – the state must make effective and proportionate arrangements to protect children and young people from harm
Participation – children and young people have the right to their own opinion and to have a say in decisions about their lives
Privacy – confidentiality is important to children and young people and people working with them should think carefully before sharing their personal information

It is the most complete statement of children’s rights ever produced and is the most widely-ratified international human rights treaty in history. For more information, read the full convention or the summarised version.

Find out more

The Scottish Government have created this 20 Minute Children’s Rights training to help you understand more about children’s rights.