“Today marks two years into my term in office as the Northern Ireland (NI) Commissioner for Children and Young People and serves as an opportunity to pause and reflect. My focus as Commissioner is simple – protecting and promoting the rights and best interests of all children and young people in NI. In many ways, my advice to and asks of government (of which there have been many) are equally simple – yet many children and young people are being failed.
My team and I work around the clock – with babies; children; young people; families; with the community and voluntary sector; with a raft of organisations – to tackle a litany of child rights violations that disproportionately impact the lives of those most vulnerable.
When I started my term, the NI Assembly was not functioning. February 2024 brought new hope, with a new Executive, to deliver on the much-needed changes to help people and society. 2024 also brought a change of government at Westminster.
It would be remiss of me to not acknowledge the efforts of many individuals working within government; we have seen many good examples of this. But, I must be clear – we must stop propping up systems that do not work and stop duplicating services. Wasting resources is wasting time. Our children do not have that time.
I am perplexed at the fact that we continue to have a crisis with regards to meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and disability – and that planning and support is simply not adequate, resulting in an annual placements fiasco. My office is inundated with reports from families – including those who still wait for school and nursery places, and those who have difficulties with home-to-school transport – who are left in limbo, despite promises and statements that have been made.
Child poverty and homelessness levels are at alarming rates, children’s social care requires immediate and radical change, and children need to be more visible in health transformation.
I am outraged at the racially motivated violence that is plaguing communities; the increasing risks of our online lives; that NI is one of the most dangerous places in Europe to be a woman; that our LGBTQIA+ communities are experiencing isolation and fear; and that vulnerable children within our communities are criminally, and sexually, exploited.
This, of course, is not an exhaustive list.
Like many other departments and organisations, I continue to be concerned about how our budget constraints are particularly impacting on children and young people. This is set against a background of an international and national regression on rights, and independence.
Our children deserve more.
To turn the tide, I am asking for the public’s support to ensure our children receive the protections they require and deserve.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was ratified by the UK in 1991, following periods in our history where the world sat up and said ‘never again’. Never again would children suffer like they did during the first and second world wars; through conflict, poverty, and marginalisation. Nations across the globe agreed that the survival, protection, development, participation, and best interests of children must be a primary consideration in all actions that concern them. This need remains – perhaps, more so now than ever in recent history.
It is my belief that full and direct incorporation of the UNCRC into domestic law is the single-most important thing we can do to support our most vulnerable – ensuring our government is fully accountable and does better for our children.
Children and young people need your support to make this happen.
If you are a child or young person, speak to adults about your rights; if you are an adult, speak to children about their rights – and all of us need to speak to elected representatives about the rights and best interests of children and young people.
Children’s rights should never be left to chance or circumstance.”
