Scottish Human Rights Commission Annual Report 2014-2015

Date: 10th November 2015
Category: Scotland-specific monitoring and reporting

The SHRC Annual Report outlines another productive year for the Commission as it continues work to promote and protect human rights for everyone in Scotland.

• Between 2014 and 2015, the SHRC provided insight and detailed analysis of how best we might realise all international human rights here in Scotland, kick-started by Scotland's 2014 independence referendum.
• The Commission priority issues included tackling the widespread use of non-statutory stop and search, realising an action plan to secure justice for survivors of historic child abuse, informing changes to mental health laws and practices, raising awareness of climate change and its impact on people, and widening the debate about human rights and land reform.
• Internationally, the Commission submitted extensive, influential evidence to the UN Human Rights Committee on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
• SHRC continued to coordinate and provide significant support to Scotland's National Action Plan for Human Rights (SNAP). In SNAP's first full year of action, SHRC worked closely with civil society and public sector partners on initiatives to improve Scotland's human rights culture, human rights in health, care, living standards, justice and safety and human rights in Scotland's international engagement.

Together continues to participate in SNAP working groups to ensure that children's rights are central to discussions and the implementation of SNAP. Together continues to work in partnership with the SHRC to support a children's rights-based approach across a range of topics concerning policy, legislation and practice, striving for full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

• The Annual Report is available here.