New group campaigns for children`s commissioner in England

A group of young people is campaigning for the government to
appoint a children’s rights commissioner for England.

The group called Right Here, Right Now is made up six to
18-year-olds. It has lobbied MPs and is spreading the message
through children’s homes, schools and youth clubs. A campaign
website will be set up next month.

Over 100 children’s organisations support the
establishment of a children’s rights commissioner, and in
Wales a commissioner was appointed in December last year.

The team says that no one stands up for young people on issues
such as having a voice in schools, tackling crimes against young
people, ensuring children in care receive adequate support and
changing the law on smacking.

In 1995, the international treaty monitoring body for the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Committee on the Rights
on the Child, advised the government to set up an independent
office to protect and promote children’s human rights. The
committee will examine the government’s actions in September this
year.