SPCB Written Question · S3W-21730 · Session 3
What account it took of the Paris Principles in making recommendations for the reorganisation of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body …
The question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what account it took of the Paris Principles in making recommendations for the reorganisation of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body supported bodies.
The answer
In its submission to the Review of SPCB Supported Bodies Committee (RSSB Committee) dated 13 January 2009, the SPCB recognised the Paris Principles in relation to the independent and budgetary aspects of any national human rights institutions.
In evidence to the RSSB Committee, the SPCB has also drawn attention to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment No2 (2002) which post dates the Paris Principles and which states:
6. Where resources are limited, consideration must be given to ensuring that the available resources are used most effectively for the promotion and protection of everyone''s human rights, including children''s, and in this context development of a broad-based NHRI (national human rights institution) that includes a specific focus on children is likely to constitute the best approach. A broad-based NHRI should include within its structure either an identifiable commissioner specifically responsible for children''s rights, or a specific section or division responsible for children''s rights.
The SPCB considers that the proposal it has submitted to the RSSB Committee for a Rights Body is consistent with this approach. The SPCB has maintained in its evidence that the proposal it has put forward for a Rights Body could strengthen the advocacy role for children''s human rights by combining work related specifically to children with other more general human rights work which should provide for a more holistic approach to human rights.
In evidence to the RSSB Committee, the SPCB has also drawn attention to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment No2 (2002) which post dates the Paris Principles and which states:
6. Where resources are limited, consideration must be given to ensuring that the available resources are used most effectively for the promotion and protection of everyone''s human rights, including children''s, and in this context development of a broad-based NHRI (national human rights institution) that includes a specific focus on children is likely to constitute the best approach. A broad-based NHRI should include within its structure either an identifiable commissioner specifically responsible for children''s rights, or a specific section or division responsible for children''s rights.
The SPCB considers that the proposal it has submitted to the RSSB Committee for a Rights Body is consistent with this approach. The SPCB has maintained in its evidence that the proposal it has put forward for a Rights Body could strengthen the advocacy role for children''s human rights by combining work related specifically to children with other more general human rights work which should provide for a more holistic approach to human rights.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S3W-21730 by reference.