Better Late Than Never: 25th Anniversary of the UK Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) remains the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world. On 20 November 1989, following its adoption by the General Assembly a significant number of states acceded to the Convention.

The United Kingdom signed the CRC on 19 April 1990 and ratified it on 16 December 1991 and it came into force on 15 January 1992, exactly 25 years ago. Whilst there are strong mechanisms in place in the United Kingdom to protect children, the Committee on the Rights of the Child made recommendation in 2007 regarding inadequacies in the areas addressing the rights of asylum-seeking children, child poverty, domestic violence and child – trafficking. The 25th anniversary of the UK Ratification of the CRC presents a unique opportunity to reflect and look at the impact it has had and explore the future of the children’s rights in the UK.

This Symposium aims to bring together children’s rights academics, government officials, heads of NGOs, students and child rights advocates from the UK. The one day symposium will discuss and reflect on the past and future impact of the CRC specifically focussing on current and emerging issues in the UK.

Aims

• Current status of children’s rights in relation to the CRC in the UK
• Level of harmonisation of the CRC in national laws
• Concerns raised by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in relation to the UK
• The level of awareness and understanding of the rights enshrined in the CRC among professionals who work with children
• Planning for the future

Keynote speakers

• The Right Hon. Sir Andrew McFarlane, Lord Justice of Court of Appeal
• Dr Maggie Atkinson, Children’s Rights Commissioner for England
• Professor Michael Freeman, University College London
• Professor Jane Fortin, University of Sussex
• Eshe Barzey, Child Advocate, Ashcroft Academy
• Louise King, Child Rights Advisor, Save the Children UK
• Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive Officer, Family Rights Group
• Naomi Danquah, Programme Director of Child Rights Partnership, UNICEF
• Linda Jones, Coordinator of Siblings United Programme and Child separated from Sibling in care, Shaftesbury Young People
• Anna Edmundson, Policy and Programmes Manager, Children's Rights Alliance for England

Programme

10:30–11:00	Coffee and Registration
11:00–11:15	Welcome by Professor Janet Beer, Vice Chancellor of Oxford Brooke University
11:15–12:15	Reflections on the Protection of Children’s Rights in the UK: Analysis of the past 25 years Chair: Dr Brigitte Clark, Senior Lecturer, Oxford Brookes University
	The Right Hon. Sir Andrew McFarlane, Lord Justice of Court of Appeal Dr Maggie Atkinson, Children’s Rights Commissioner for England Eshe Barzey, Child Advocate, Ashcroft Academy
12:15–13:00	Lunch
13:00–15:15	General Measures of Implementation and Responding to Concerns Raised by the UN Committee on the Rights of Children in relation to UK Chair: Professor Lucy Vickers, Oxford Brookes University
	Professor Michael Freeman, University College London Professor Jane Fortin, University of Sussex Louise King, Child Rights Advisor, Save the Children UK Anna Edmundson, Policy and Programmes Manager, Children's Rights Alliance for England
15:15–15:30	Refreshments
15:30–16:20	Efforts to bridge the knowledge gap among professionals working at grassroots level Chair: Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive Officer, Family Rights Group
	Naomi Danquah, Programme Director of Child Rights Partners, UNICEF Linda Jones, Coordinator of Siblings United Programme and Child Separated from Sibling in care, Shaftesbury Young People
16:20–16:30	Concluding remarks and summing up: Professor Michael Freeman