The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has today, (20th November 2020), published a report about children's rights in Great Britain. The report also serves as their submission to the UN investigation in to the issue.
The report raises concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's rights and experiences across a range of policy areas, including health. It also points out how the pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and poverty that will have long-term negative impacts for children and young people. This is something RCPCH has been vocal about both publicly and privately in the corridors of power over previous months.
The report makes a number of recommendations to Government, including that they undertake an impact assessment of the pandemic on children and young people. Many of the policy recommendations echo our own calls to Government, and shares our emphasis on the need to keep children at the heart of policy-making decisions.
Professor Russell Viner, President of RCPCH said:
We know that children have been the collateral damage of this pandemic. Whilst children largely become less unwell with COVID-19 than adults, the negative impacts of the pandemic have been far-reaching and risk scarring the life chances of a generation.
On World Children’s Day, we are pleased to see this comprehensive report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) echo many of the calls to Government we have made making over the previous months and years.
We agree that children’s rights must be put at the heart of future Government decision-making.
Our RCPCH &Us Network of children and young people tell us that their rights are important to them. We are committed to ensuring their voices are heard in policy-making, in service design and planning, and in our clinics.