Making it possible: Realising children’s rights in scotland in a changing world

There is a broad array of human rights instruments which protect the rights of children but the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the first legally binding international instrument to fully incorporate civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights, as well as aspects of humanitarian law. The authors of this Opinion chart the progress of full and direct incorporation of children’s rights into Scots law through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill. The authors track Scotland’s key milestones to incorporation and consider the significant aspects of the Bill whilst offering key pieces of advice to children’s rights campaigners and advocates for incorporation. The authors reflect on the role of Child Human Rights Defenders and affirm their participation is central to any work to incorporate children’s rights into domestic law. The authors go on to consider the role which the Covid-19 pandemic has played in revealing that even seemingly progressive systems can revert to paternalistic approaches to children and young people. © 2021 Thomson Reuters and Contributors.