Know Your Rights!

Your rights help you live your life safely and happily. They are protected by law. Your rights are protected under law by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Being protected under law means no-one can take your rights away from you.

You might think that rights mean nothing to you, but it’s actually about the real things that matter; like having a good standard of living, being well looked after by parents or carers, being able to get an education, having access to healthcare, living in a safe environment. These are not just things that would be ‘good’ if you had them in your life; these are basic rights that you should expect.You are entitled to your rights and the government should do all it can to make sure that you get them.

What is the UNCRC?

There are 54 Articles in total which set out your basic rights. They apply to ALL young people under 18. Young people around the world have their human rights protected in a document called the UN Convention on The Rights of the Child (UNCRC). These rights are for all children and young people. The "UN" part of UNCRC stands for the United Nations, which is a worldwide association of Governments working together to make progress on issues like international law, human rights, and peace.

It helps the different nations of the world talk to each other. The UK signed up to the Convention in 1991.This means that the UK government MUST ensure that your rights are protected. In Scotland it’s no different. The Scottish Government has a duty to protect and promote your rights.

These include:

• You have the right to protection against discrimination (Article 2)
• You have a right to have a say in the decisions that affect you (Article 12)
• You have the right to meet people, as long as you don't endanger or threaten them (Article 15)
• You should be able to keep things private, unless the law says there's a reason why you can't (Article 16)

For more information on the UNCRC and your rights, click on the following link to visit Scotland's Commissioner for Children & Young People's website: www.sccyp.org.uk