Carrie Lam’s pledge to protect child rights is welcome, but will the commission get teeth?
Grenville Cross says to truly advance child rights and interests, a children’s commission must be independent and able to hold the government to account for policy failures, not just be a display item
To succeed, a children’s commission should have real substance. In England and Wales, the commission is responsible not only for promoting an awareness of the views and interests of children, but, since 2014, also for advancing children’s rights, including youth justice. A commission must be able to hold the government to account when its policies fall short, which requires genuine independence.
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When Lam was pressed to describe her proposed children’s commission, her office replied she would “ask the relevant bureau to study the setting up of this commission and consult the views of relevant child concern groups”. Whereas the child groups will undoubtedly call for a truly independent organisation, the bureaucracy itself, long fearful of a vibrant new campaigning body, may – on past form – be expected to adopt a minimalist approach.
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Although Lam’s support of a children’s commission is laudable, the body created must be fit for purpose and capable of achieving international standards. As she prepares her policy address, Lam must remember that, although children enjoy inalienable rights under the UN convention, only a commission with teeth can ensure that these are actually delivered.
Grenville Cross SC, honorary consultant to the Child Protection Institute, is a criminal justice analyst