Date: 16th November 2018
Category: General Comments, Age of criminal responsibility

The Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Bill - to raise the age from age 8 to 12 – was debated at Stage 1 by MSPs in Parliament on Tuesday 13th November 2018.  The following day, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child launched a consultation on a revised General Comment No. 10 on children's rights in juvenile justice.  The draft General Comment states “In the original general comment No. 10 (2007), the Committee had considered 12 years as the absolute minimum age. However, the Committee finds that this age indication is still low. States parties are encouraged to increase their minimum age to at least 14 years of age. At the same time, the Committee commends States parties that have a higher minimum age, for instance 15 or 16 years of age”.

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: Education, including vocational education

Scotland will become the first country in the world to have "LGBTI-inclusive education" embedded in the curriculum, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Deputy First Minister John Swinney has told the Scottish Parliament.

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: Respect for the views of the child

A new partnership agreement between the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Youth Parliament aims to ensure young people are involved at the heart of politics.

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: Equal protection from violence

A new article by Dr Louise Hill at Celcis presents international evidence supporting the proposed Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill and calls for regular public awareness campaigns to promote positive parenting and non-violent forms of discipline to ensure children’s equal right to human dignity and physical integrity is respected.

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: Basic Health and Welfare, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Family Environment and Alternative Care

Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, has published a policy position statement in which she reflects on the potentials and pitfalls of Adverse Childhood Experiences, commonly referred to as ‘ACES’, being the driver of policy for children, concluding that a human-rights based approach is needed in order to ensure that every child gets an equal chance to fulfil their potential. Holland outlines five principles of a children’s human-rights based approach - embedding children’s rights, non-discrimination and equality, empowerment, participation and accountability – arguing that the positive awareness of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Wales can fit into a wider commitment to ensuring children’s human rights are at the heart of policy and practice:   

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: Mental health

Closing Date: 14th December 2018

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: General Comments, Age of criminal responsibility

Closing date: 8th January 2019

Date: 16th November 2018
Category: Equal protection from violence

Closing date: 25th January 2019

Date: 16th November 2018
Category:

Closing date: 24th February 2019

Date: 7th November 2018
Category: Recreation, play and cultural activities

Together has joined 50 individuals and organisations in signing a National Position Statement to make playing and learning outdoors an everyday activity for Scotland’s children and young people. The statement asserts the health, wellbeing and educational benefits of playing and learning outdoors and commits signatories to help widen access to natural and communal spaces and to enriching urban spaces for children and families to play in.

Date: 7th November 2018
Category: Looked after children, Awareness-raising, Incorporation

Together was proud to walk alongside hundreds of people in Glasgow as part of Who Cares? Scotland’s Love Rally on Friday 26th October 2018 which called for a lifetime of equality, respect and love for care experienced people.

Date: 7th November 2018
Category: General measures of implementation

Together is pleased to share this report produced by Camilla Bonifai, Together’s work-based placement student from the University of Edinburgh, which explores the Irish Children’s Rights Referendum.

Date: 7th November 2018
Category: Bullying

Anti-Bullying Week takes place from the 12th – 16th November 2018 and this year, the theme is #ChooseRespect. Together’s member Respectme are inviting organisations to get involved with this campaign towards respect and positive relationships.

Date: 7th November 2018
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms

Brexit Civil Society Alliance has launched a new website which aims to provide accessible, up-to-date resources on what Brexit means for civil society and showcase what Brexit work civil society is doing.

Date: 7th November 2018
Category: Child poverty

Child poverty is an issue of fundamental rights and legally binding obligations for EU Member States and EU institutions, concludes the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in its latest report. As Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the Agency for Fundamental Rights, has stated in response to the launch of the report:

Date: 7th November 2018
Category: Other human rights treaties and mechanisms

On 23rd October 2018, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Michel Forst presented at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, marking the 20th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

Date: 7th November 2018
Category: Other human rights treaties and mechanisms

Children from Cambodia have shared a short film which highlights their experiences and activities as child human rights defenders, in line with the theme of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s Day of General Discussion.

Date: 7th November 2018
Category: Protection from abuse or neglect, Domestic abuse

Women’s World Summit Foundation (WWSF)’s annual campaign 19 Days of Activism for prevention of violence against children and youth 1-19 November began on the 1st November 2018, with over 40 coalition member organisations joining their call to action.

Date: 7th November 2018
Category:

Eurochild and UNICEF invite children and young people up to 18 years of age to share their views on the Europe they would like to grow up in as well as their experiences of family life, school and society.

Date: 7th November 2018
Category: Policies & procedures, Family Environment and Alternative Care

CELCIS is inviting organisations and Local Authorities to complete their survey which aims to understand what can help parents when there is a possibility that a child may become ‘looked after’ (or taken into care) by the local authority.