GETTING IT RIGHT FOR THE CHILDREN OF WALES 25 th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Dr Anne Crowley Associate, CASCADE & Cardiff University

Wales achievements and priorities for the next 25 years A rights-based approach Celebrating achievements Devolution an exercise in doing things differently Wales on the international stage Priorities for the next 25 years

3 Human rights are universal legal guarantees protecting individuals and groups against actions (violations) and omissions (failures) that affect their freedom and human dignity What do we mean by a right?

Celebrating Wales Firsts 1 st to ban smacking in all early years settings 1 st to include children in the definition of domestic violence 1 st to appoint a Children’s Commissioner 1 st to embed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in law and policy making

Children’s rights: a priority for the 1 st decade of Devolution in Wales Waterhouse Proportions of women in the Assembly Children’s Commissioner Adopt the UNCRC (2004) Rights to Action (7 Core Aims) Child poverty – a Fair Future for our Children Minister for Children Cross-cutting Cabinet Committee State of Children in Wales report (Children’s Well-being Monitor) Reporting to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2008

Equal Protection for Children Christine Chapman Short Debate in 2002 established the Assembly’s opposition to corporal punishment. Opportunity for legal reform in 2004 embraced by Welsh politicians in London as well as Cardiff. Funding of work to educate and support parents in using alternative methods of disciplining children.

Wales’ achievements celebrated on the international stage UK government report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2007) Wales’ position mentioned in the Committee’s Concluding Observations (2008) Wales’ commitment to ban smacking noted by the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights (2008) Funky Dragon, Wales Youth Assembly promoted as an example by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child ( )

8 “It really is one of the things that struck me immediately … is just how many people have signed up to come here today to talk about children’s rights and like you I think that that wouldn’t have happened 5 years ago, so there clearly is some sort of cultural shift happening and I just hope that it continues. …….The report itself I think is brilliant, it’s one of the best reports I’ve seen for a long time” (Peter Clarke, Children’s Commissioner for Wales). “I intend, as Minister for Children, and Chair of the Cabinet Committee for Children and Young People, to personally oversee the preparation of the Wales Report” (Jane Hutt, Welsh Assembly Government)

All Change? October 2011– First Minister confirms the Assembly has legislative competence October 2011– Motion urging the WG to bring forward legislation is adopted by the Assembly February 2014 – AMs reject an amendment to the SSWB (Wales) Bill November 2014 – Committee’s report on the Gender- based Violence, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Bill Tuesday – agreed to set up a cross-party Committee to examine reforming the law on smacking. “to come up with well evidenced and well thought through proposals.”

Priorities for the next 25 years Change the law to provide equal protection for children (Re) establish structures at the heart of government that focus attention on realising the rights of children in Wales Time to Act Take it Seriously

More Information  childrenareunbeatable.org.uk  childcomwales.org.uk  childrensrightswales.org.uk