Introduction

Our 2022/2023 Annual Report covers the period from April 2022 to March 2023. While children and young people are experiencing a return to more normal life after the pandemic, the report acknowledges that Covid-19’s impacts persist. The disproportionate effect of the pandemic on children whose rights were already most at risk further underlines the need for a rights-based approach to recovery. Bruce Adamson, in his final report before stepping down as Commissioner, expresses pride in the achievements of the past year and looks with positivity to future years for the office’s work with incoming Commissioner, Nicola Killean.

Involvement of children and young people remains central to our work, with extensive engagement across nurseries, schools, and youth group settings throughout Scotland. The incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law, despite being passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament in 2021, remains a top priority. We continue to urge the Scottish Government to address the required amendments.

Child poverty has been a primary focus, and we continue to press the Scottish and UK governments to fulfil their human rights obligations to children and young people. This has included challenging fuel poverty and calling for increased support to families, including social security reform. We have also continued to use the law to effect change, including launching our Strategic Litigation Toolkit, protecting the rights of asylum-seeking mothers and babies, and collaborating with Children’s Commissioners and young advisors from across Europe.