The children's commissioner has called on the government and all
political parties to commit to continued investment in children's
services to safeguard their rights.
Sir Al Aynsley-Green and his colleagues in Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland issued a
joint statement to mark the 20th anniversary of the United
Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child today (20
November).
The statement said: "Children's and young people's rights are
not a luxury to be enjoyed only during financially affluent times;
they are essential throughout childhood.
"Inevitably, at times of lower economic activity and high
unemployment there is an increased need for children's services. It
is therefore not the time to make cuts in such services. Rather,
continued investment in early intervention services will lead to
cost savings through the reduction in crisis intervention in future
years."
Lack of
progress
Aynsley-Green also highlighted the government's lack of progress
on a number of areas earmarked for immediate improvement by the UN
including youth justice, asylum and negative attitudes in the media
towards children and young people.
His comments follow a hard-hitting
report from the Joint Select Committee on Human Rights
criticising Children's Secretary Ed Balls for failing to include
children's rights in any bill of rights for the UK.
"We urge the Government to ensure that it consults widely on
this question to ascertain how many of those working closely with
children share the Government's view that it would make no
practical difference to the lives of children," the report
stated.
The committee also slammed the government's refusal to make the
UN convention on the rights of the child the framework of local
Children and Young People's Plans.
"We do not understand why the Secretary of State is content to
draw up his own Children's Plan with regard to the principles and
Articles of the UNCRC, but is not prepared to require the
authorities drawing up local Children's Plans to do the same," the
committee said.
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