A highly critical report published today (Friday, 3 October) by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has slammed the UK Government as failing to meet international standards on the treatment of children. In a number of vital areas – from juvenile justice to the rights of disabled children, from the protection of young asylum seekers to the right of children to privacy – the Government is failing to meet its obligations under international law. As part of over 120 recommendations made to the UK Government, the UN report calls for the review and abolition of the use of anti-social behaviour orders for children and for tighter regulation of reality television programmes that feature babies and children. The UN Committee urges the Government, as a matter of priority, to prohibit corporal punishment in the family.
Carolyne Willow, National Co-ordinator of the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, said: “We now call for the Government to take immediate action to remedy breaches in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and we want the Convention brought into UK law as a matter of urgency. Given the severity and breadth of the criticisms made by the UN Committee, Ed Balls must now make a statement to the House as soon as possible after parliament resumes next week.”
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is an international body of 18 children’s human rights experts established to monitor how well UN States Parties implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Every five years the UK Government is required to report to and then be examined by this UN body for its treatment of the UK’s 13.1 million children. Government representatives faced detailed questioning by members of the Committee last week (nearly 200 questions); the examination was observed by NGOs, the Children’s Commissioners and children and young people.
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