17 Jul 24
We are proud to share that Coram Voice has endorsed the Children’s Rights Charter by the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE).
With a new government in place, we have a unique opportunity to renew efforts to protect children’s rights. It is a pleasure to stand alongside almost 90 organisations in supporting this Charter and calling for children’s rights to be protected and prioritised by policymakers.
Last year, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child examined how well the UK was respecting children’s rights. It highlighted a wide range of issues that are detrimentally impacting children including the high numbers of children living in poverty, long waiting lists for children seeking mental health services and the high prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violence against children. It also shone a light on how the rights of some of the most vulnerable children, including children seeking asylum, children in care and those in contact with the criminal justice system, are not being respected.
The Charter calls on the new UK Government to prioritise children’s rights by:
- implementing a comprehensive children’s rights strategy
- establishing a dedicated Cabinet Minister for Children
- increasing budget allocations for children’s services
- ensuring statutory obligations for Child Rights Impact Assessments
- developing a strategy for increasing awareness, knowledge and understanding of children’s right
- and incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic law