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Action call on children's rights
 It is the 10th anniversary of the UN's children's rights convention. |
Campaigners are calling on the Scottish Parliament to introduce major changes to improve children's lives.
The appeal comes on the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The UN convention is the most widely accepted human rights treaty in history.
It has been ratified by all but two countries throughout the world and sets out the rights that children are born with - including education, good health and freedom of speech.
Children's rights
However, campaigners in Scotland say there is still a long way to go before the convention's fine words are converted into hard policies.
Save the Children Scotland says a good start would be for the Scottish Executive to appoint a Children's commissioner to safeguard and develop the rights of young Scots.
Pressure group Article 12 has called on the Scottish Parliament to sit during at least some of the school holidays so that children can attend debates on policies which affect their lives.
 The goverment has promised a "war on poverty" |
The group's annual conference on Friday heard calls for cuts in local government funding to be restored to help lone parents beat the poverty trap.
There is concern that, despite the government's promise of a "war on child poverty," little has actually changed.
Apart from the decision to alter benefit levels for single parents, cuts in local government funding mean there is less money at community level to support one-parent families.
Escape poverty
Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation suggests children of single parents, and in poverty, are less likely to escape from poverty themselves when they grow up.
One Plus says that, although the government focus is now on helping the unemployed back into work, local authorities have less money available for childcare - an acute difficulty for lone parents.
The organisation says there appears now to be little official recognition that some parents need to stay at home to look after their children, without being labelled "work-shy".
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See also: | |
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 | 14 Jul 99 | UK Politics |
| Brown unveils child poverty targets |
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| 20 Jul 99 | UK |
| Four million children 'living in poverty' |
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| 01 Sep 99 | UK |
| Labour 'will lift 2 million from poverty' |
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| 21 Sep 99 | UK Politics |
| War on poverty |
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| 09 Nov 99 | UK Politics |
| Brown's pre-Budget surprises |
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| 09 Nov 99 | UK Politics |
| Child poverty to be 'halved in a decade' |
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| 19 Nov 99 | Scotland |
| 'Little change' since poverty pledge |
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Internet links: | |
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| Social Exclusion Unit |
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| Save the Children |
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| Department of Social Security |
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| Treasury |
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| Scottish Executive |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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| Joseph Rowntree Foundation |
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| National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children |
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| UN Children's Fund |
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