Scottish Human Rights Commission

Scotland’s National Action Plan for Human Rights (SNAP) was launched on International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2013. It sets out a bold roadmap towards a Scotland where everyone can live with human dignity.[8]

This project aims to increase awareness, understanding and confidence in the care sector about human rights in order to improve conditions for those in care and for their carers. Particular emphasis has been placed on the needs of older people through a training package called "Care about Rights".[9]

In February 2010 the Commission published a comprehensive human rights framework to address historic child abuse through an Acknowledgement and Accountability Forum. The framework was positively received by many survivors and international experts. The Commission worked with the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland to deliver a series of InterActions with to develop an Action Plan on Justice and Remedies. You can read more about the InterActions here: [www.shrcinteraction.org] The Commission continues to monitor the process of acknowledgement and accountability in Scotland and the implementation of its recommendations. Current work on historic child abuse can be seen at the Commission's website: [www.scottishhumanrights.com/justice/historic-child-abuse/]

In order to fulfil its mandate concerning education and training the Commission has developed training materials on human rights for staff in local authorities. In January 2010 the Commission piloted human rights training for staff within the Services for Communities Division of the City of Edinburgh Council. In the following month research was also conducted into international best practice and various experiences of carrying out human rights impact assessments. In 2013 the Commission piloted a joint Equalities and Human Rights Impact Assessment with two partner organisations, Fife and Renfrewshire Councils. The project will begin by establishing an understanding of current practices and approaches to assessing equality and human rights impacts, and develop appropriate means for the partner organisations to move beyond the legal requirement to carry out equality impact assessment towards having the capability to assess equality and human rights impacts together. The pilot bodies will contribute to the development of ideas and also to the road-testing of such approaches.

In 2010 the Commission contributed to the work of the Working Group of the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions on Business and Human Rights by drafting a survey for all institutions on their interests, needs and capacities in the area. The Commission also provided written and oral evidence to the UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights inquiry on Business and Human Rights. In October 2010 the Commission hosted the International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions on the theme of Business and Human Rights.[2] The conference agreed the Edinburgh Declaration, which sets an action plan for NHRIs on business and human rights.

In 2009, the Conservative party, then the main UK opposition party, announced that, if elected, it would repeal the Human Rights Act 1998 and replace it with a Bill of Rights. In March 2010 the Commission published two statements, including one co-signed with the NIHRC, calling for the preservation of the Act and emphasising that human rights would be best protected by building on the Act instead of replacing it.

In November 2009 the Commission, in conjunction with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Scottish Government and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, held a conference in Glasgow on 'Human Rights and Climate Change, Achieving climate justice in Scotland'.

In June 2009 the Commission hosted the first joint meeting of the four national human rights institutions of the UK and Ireland; the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Irish Human Rights Commission, the NIHRC and, of course, the Scottish Commission. Justice Albie Sachs, a former justice of the South African Constitutional Court, also participated in the meeting.

In October 2010 the Commission hosted the 10th International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions at the Scottish Parliament, bringing together delegates from over 80 countries to discuss issues around Business and Human Rights. The conference ended with the agreement of the Edinburgh Declaration.[2]

The Commission frequently makes submissions to the Treaty bodies of the United Nations framework. The reports provide a critique of law, policy and practice in Scotland.

In June 2009 the Commission was appointed a member of the UK's independent mechanism responsible for promoting, monitoring and protecting the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.