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UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill passes unanimously

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 17th March 2021

Scotland is to become the first devolved nation in the world to directly incorporate the UNCRC into domestic law.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) will be incorporated into domestic law after MSPs voted unanimously for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill to become law, meaning public authorities will have to comply with children’s rights.

The Bill will commence six months from Royal Assent, and is seen by many children’s rights organisations as a culture shift that has the potential to transform children’s lives in Scotland. Read more about it on the Scottish Government’s website (this link will take you away from this website).

The Bill contains an amendment to use and promote the use of inclusive ways of communicating in Part 3 (Children’s Rights Schemes), developed by the ALLIANCE in partnership with deafscotland, and supported by Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights). Together has worked for years to make UNCRC Incorporation a reality. Access the full Bill (this link will take you away from this website).

The ALLIANCE had discussed UNCRC Incorporation with the Children and Young People Commissioner, Bruce Adamson: watch the interview “Making children’s rights a reality” to learn more (this link will take you away from this website).

The ALLIANCE will continue to work to advance the rights of disabled people and people with long-term conditions: over one hundred individuals and organisations have already joined the ALLIANCE and Inclusion Scotland in calling for full and direct incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (CRPD) into Scots law as soon as possible ( on this, and our Human Rights 2021 Manifesto).

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