FM urged to take action to incorporate UN rights

Organisations have joined together to write to the First Minister to urge her to take the next steps to incorporate UN rights and standards into Scots law.

In December 2018, the First Minister’s Advisory Group on Human Rights Leadership published recommendations on how to not regress on human rights, but to keep progressing human rights in Scotland. Core to their recommendations was a proposal to have new human rights law that incorporates UN Conventions into Scots law.  They proposed that for the first time, all economic and social rights would be directly enforceable in Scotland, as well as the right to a healthy environment and rights for specific groups such as women and disabled people.

The Human Rights Consortium Scotland, Amnesty International, the ALLIANCE, Together, Engender, Scottish Environment LINK, Nourish Scotland, the Equality Network, Inclusion Scotland and Shelter Scotland all wrote to the First Minister to welcome incorporation of UN rights and strong and effective law to do so, to call for the Taskforce to include those with experience of participation, and to highlight the importance of strong law to incorporate the UNCRC.

You can read the full text of the letter here.

The Scottish Government has announced that the Taskforce will be co-chaired by Professor Alan Miller, previously the Chair of the Human Rights Leadership Advisory Group, and Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP.