AMNESTY International has said Scotland has the opportunity to be a world leader with new human rights laws.
Scottish Government Equalities Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville yesterday unveiled the proposals, which would see legislation introduced to improve human rights for women, disabled people and minority ethnic communities.
The bill would also have a key impact on poverty, housing, health, social care, drugs policy and other issues.
The four UN treaties are the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The plans follow the publication of the National Taskforce for Human Rights Leadership’s final report, of which the Scottish Government accepted 30 recommendations.
Somerville described the plans as “bold and ambitious”, adding: “A multi-treaty human rights bill of this nature, that will also contain a range of others rights on the environment, older people, and access to justice, is unprecedented and will make Scotland a world leader in human rights.
“This new bill sets out our clear commitment to reducing inequality and advancing the human rights of everyone. It shows our dedication to go further and aim higher to ensure human rights are embedded in every aspect of life in Scotland.
READ MORE: Scotland to incorporate four United Nations Human Rights treaties into law
“This ground-breaking human rights framework is going to make a difference, helping people and communities to live with dignity wherever they are in Scotland, and whatever their circumstances.”
Naomi McAuliffe, Amnesty International’s Scotland programme director, said: “We welcome these recommendations and look forward to ensuring the strongest possible human rights protections for everyone in Scotland.
“This is a chance for not only global leadership from the Scottish Government but leadership within the UK where we’re seeing continued threats to our fundamental protections including the Human Rights Act, the right to protest, and the devastating impact the pandemic has had on care homes residents, frontline workers, and black and ethnic minority people.
“Covid-19 has exposed how fragile our rights are. The rights to housing, health, and education should be at the centre of government policy, and incorporating these basic rights in Scots Law will be instrumental in securing Scotland’s post-Covid future.
“As we witness more moves by the UK Government to erode our rights protections, the Scottish Parliament has the opportunity to be a leader in human rights and move forwards rather than backwards in protecting the public.”
Leading housing charity Shelter Scotland has long advocated for housing to be a human right in Scots Law and has warmly welcomed the proposals in the new bill.
Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson described the announcement as “ground-breaking” and said: “Scotland faced a housing crisis prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, and this pandemic will only exacerbate these pre-existing inequalities unless concrete measures are taken. A human rights-based approach to recovery from the pandemic is necessary if we want to start tackling the root causes of our housing crisis.
“We will be studying the detail and look forward to working with the Scottish Government to ensure that this essential right to a safe, secure and affordable home is enshrined in Scots Law. We are also looking forward to seeing the Scot Government’s Housing to 2040 plan next week, which we hope will also include this recommendation so that the housing rights framework is strengthened, and we can effectively defend people’s right to a home.”
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