Final Consortium Newsletter 2024
Human Rights Consortium Scotland
The Human Rights Consortium Scotland is the civil society network to defend and promote human rights in Scotland.
Consortium News
As we approach the end of 2024, it’s a time for reflection on the incredible work accomplished throughout the year by our team and supporters. While we are proud of the progress made, I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight some key staffing changes that will shape the Consortium’s future.
Firstly, we bid farewell to Doro Richter, our Human Rights Participation Officer, and Rebecca Ferguson-Grant , our Communications and Events Officer, who both moved on from the Consortium at the end of October. Doro and Rebecca have made immense contributions to our work, with Doro playing a central role in shaping our human rights campaigns, and Rebecca ensuring our communications reached far and wide. Their dedication to human rights will have a lasting impact on the work we continue to do.
We also want to acknowledge Lucy Miller , our Policy and Communications Lead, who will be stepping down from her role at the end of January. Lucy has been instrumental in driving our policy agenda and ensuring that human rights remain a central focus in Scotland. While we are sad to see her go, we are confident that her legacy of advocacy will continue to guide our work in the years ahead. And speaking of Lucy, she has just finished drafting our final submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights for January 2025. We are looking for organisational sign-on from across all of Scottish civil society to send the strongest message possible, you can read more about this and sign on here before January 9th 2025.
As always, our work would not be possible without the continued support of our community. This festive season, we invite you to consider donating to the Consortium to help us continue our mission to make human rights accessible to all. Your support, no matter the size, ensures that we can keep pushing for justice and equality, now and into the new year. Donate now – because none of us have human rights until we all have human rights.
All the best now,
Charlie McMillan , Interim Director
First Minister Responds to Consortium’s Letter on Human Rights Bill Delays
The First Minister’s response to our joint letter, signed by over 100 organisations, reaffirmed the government’s intention to introduce the Scottish Human Rights Bill in the next parliamentary session. However, it failed to address the lack of urgency and missed opportunities to protect rights using existing powers. While the government stresses the importance of “getting the legislation right,” immediate action is needed to tackle pressing issues like energy poverty, transport justice, and rising homelessness. Disabled People-Led Organisations have already highlighted a troubling gap between government promises and delivery, withdrawing their support for the draft Disability Equality Plan due to a lack of progress. We remain committed to holding the government accountable for current failures while advocating for the incorporation of all rights into law to secure meaningful, enforceable protections for everyone in Scotland.
Collaborative Report on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights – Call for Sign-Ons
We are excited to announce the completion of our collaborative report on the UK’s implementation of economic, social, and cultural rights, which will be submitted to the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in early 2025. This report was developed with input from Scottish civil society organisations and focuses on the issues outlined in the CESCR’s List of Issues from Spring 2023, including human rights protection, climate change, asylum rights, gender and racial equality, employment, and child poverty. We are now inviting organisations to sign on to the report and its recommendations.
The deadline to sign on is January 9, 2025, at 5:00 PM. You can complete the sign-on form through Google Forms here.
Blue Skies Ahead for the Consortium!
We’re excited to announce that the Human Rights Consortium Scotland is transitioning from X to Bluesky in line with our values. While X remains our largest platform, we’ll continue posting there during this transition phase. If you’ve made the switch, we’d love to stay connected - follow us at @hrcscotland.bsky.social! If you are looking for more long-form updates and blogs, follow us on LinkedIn here.
Reforming Scotland’s Prisons: Human Rights in Focus
Last month, our event with Sam Gluckstein (UK National Preventive Mechanism) and Emma Jardine (Howard League Scotland) discussed key human rights issues in Scotland’s prisons. This event was hosted following the summer publication of the report “Review… Recommend… Repeat…” by the UK NPM and SHRC. These included inadequate cell sizes, limited outdoor access, overuse of segregation, and systemic failures in rehabilitation. The BS v Scottish Ministers case highlighted how denial of rehabilitation breaches human rights. With missed hospital appointments, overcrowding, and a lack of remand data, it's clear that urgent reform is needed to ensure Scotland’s justice system upholds dignity, fairness, and rehabilitation.
Legal Aid Reform in Crisis: A Call for Long-Term Change Lucy Miller, Policy and Communications Lead at the Human Rights Consortium Scotland, highlights the urgent need for real legal aid reform in Scotland. Despite years of consultations and recommendations, the Scottish Government’s short-term, reactive approach is failing to address the systemic crisis. Lucy explains why civil legal aid is vital for protecting people’s rights and urges the government to move beyond temporary funding fixes, calling for a comprehensive, long-term strategy. Read her full article to learn more about the challenges facing the legal aid system and what needs to be done to ensure access to justice for all.
Call to Review Scotland’s Prevent Strategy
The Consortium has joined Amnesty, Together, CEMVO, and others urging the Scottish Government to review Prevent. New statistics show a 31% rise in referrals in Scotland, with 62% involving young people under 20 and a worrying increase in cases linked to Islamist extremism. Prevent harms privacy, free expression, and equality, disproportionately affecting Muslim communities, young people, and neurodiverse individuals. The Cabinet Secretary has agreed to meet in February to discuss limiting Prevent’s impact and pressing the UK Government to replace it with safeguarding processes that uphold human rights.
Push for Incorporation
Join the #BringBackTheBill Human Rights Day of Action – 10 December 2024
On Tuesday, 10 December 2024, organisations across Scotland will gather for the #BringBackTheBill Human Rights Day of Action at the Scottish Parliament, calling for the reintroduction of the Scottish Human Rights Bill. This Bill aims to enshrine fundamental human rights into Scots law, with special protections for women, disabled people, and racial minorities, ensuring rights to adequate living standards, health, education, fair work, and social security. This day is a powerful call to action, urging the Scottish Government to prioritise these protections for all.
We invite organisations, community groups, grassroots movements, students, and individuals to join us in advocating for a future where human rights are central to Scotland’s policies. Together, we can make a difference. The event runs from 10:00 - 14:00 GMT at the Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh, with more details available on Eventbrite. Let’s #BringBackTheBill!
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Add Your Support: Sign the Joint Statement Ahead of the CESCR’s Review of the UK
The UK ESCR Network is calling on organisations to join us in signing a joint statement ahead of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights' (CESCR) Seventh Periodic Review of the UK in February 2025. This statement highlights urgent concerns across the UK, particularly in Scotland, where delays in human rights incorporation risk the well-being of those facing the greatest inequalities. The statement aims to bring attention to critical violations of economic, social, and cultural rights and ensure these are addressed in the CESCR’s concluding observations. We invite all organisations to sign by the deadline of Thursday, 19 December at 12:00. Please note, this is for organisational signatures only.
New SHRC Report Calls for Urgent Action on Human Rights in the Highlands and Islands
The Scottish Human Rights Commission’s (SHRC) latest report highlights critical gaps in the fulfilment of economic, social, and cultural rights across the Highlands and Islands. With alarming findings on hunger, homelessness, and inadequate healthcare, the report sheds light on persistent inequalities. For instance, high housing costs and limited transport exacerbate access issues, while pregnant women are forced to travel over 120 miles for care. The Commission calls for urgent action, including eradicating hunger and rooflessness, ensuring universal healthcare access, and adopting a human rights-based approach to housing and public services. With a practical monitoring framework and clear recommendations, this report is a vital tool for improving lives and holding duty bearers accountable.
Other News and Events
New Report on Young Muslims in Scotland
A new report, “Young Muslims in Scotland: Politics, Racism, and the Media”, has been launched, authored by Dr. Joel White and Professor Peter Hopkins from Newcastle University, alongside Dr. Robin Finlay from the University of Sunderland. The report offers a comprehensive exploration of the challenges and contributions of young Muslims in Scotland, focusing on their engagement in national and global politics, experiences of racism and Islamophobia, and perceptions of both mainstream and social media. The findings provide valuable insights into the lived realities of this community and underscore the importance of inclusive, supportive policies.
SHRC Annual Report 2023-2024: Key Human Rights Insights and Progress The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has released its Annual Report for 2023-2024, showcasing significant efforts to advance human rights across Scotland. The report highlights the Commission’s engagement with over 140 individuals in the Highlands and Islands, shedding light on pressing issues such as healthcare, housing, and transport. It also reveals the findings from the Commission’s landmark report on places of detention, calling attention to the 29 human rights recommendations, most of which remain unmet. With new research, spotlight projects, and ongoing advocacy, the SHRC continues its critical role in monitoring, reporting, and holding public bodies accountable.
Amnesty Scotland Criticises Scottish Government’s Support for Arms Firms
Amnesty International has raised concerns over the Scottish government's funding of arms companies, accusing it of failing to ensure that financial support does not contribute to the supply chains of weapons used in conflicts such as the war in Gaza. The human rights group highlighted discrepancies in Scottish Enterprise's due diligence checks, particularly the lack of scrutiny over where arms components may end up. Despite the government's assurances that grants support non-military activities, Amnesty has called for a review of funding practices.
Young Women’s Movement launch new survey to explore the state of young women’s rights in Scotland The Young Women’s Movement, Scotland’s national organisation for young women and girls’ leadership and rights, has launched a new survey to understand what young women's rights look like in Scotland in 2024. The survey has been developed by the Young Women’s Movement’s research team, working with an advisory group of 21 experts and 4 peer researchers including the Consortium’s Policy and Communications Lead, Lucy Miller. If you identify as a young woman, age 16-30, you are welcome to participate in the survey, though anyone can pass the link onto a young woman they know.
Course: The Unequal Risk – Equality and Human Rights in Housing and Homelessness
Hosted by Homeless Network Scotland, this half-day course explores the systemic inequalities in housing and homelessness and how to design more inclusive and equitable services. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the legal duties under the Equality Act (2010) and Scotland's Specific Duties, and learn how to address barriers to equality in homelessness services. The course will provide practical tools for applying an equality and human rights lens to homelessness prevention, ensuring diverse communities are represented. Participants will also receive training slides, a resource list, and the chance to connect with others working to end homelessness in Scotland.
Dates: 28 November 2024 or 16 January 2025 Cost: £80 - £100 Location: Online (Teams)
Closing Scotland's Human Rights Enforcement Gap
The Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland (CFoIS) has voiced disappointment that the 2024 Programme for Government omitted the promised I despite overwhelming public support demonstrated in the 2023 consultation. The proposed Bill, covering devolved areas like health, social care, housing, and planning, represents a significant step toward enforceable human rights across economic, social, cultural, civil, political, and environmental domains. CFoIS is urging reform to address Scotland’s "enforcement deficit" by amending Section 6 of the Scottish Commission for Human Rights Act 2006 to empower the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) to take cases in the public interest, mirroring powers already granted to the Equality and Human Rights Commission in England and Wales. Additionally, CFoIS advocates granting the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman the authority to initiate inquiries, fostering a proactive approach to addressing systemic issues. CFoIS invites collaboration to drive these changes and strengthen Scotland’s human rights framework. Visit cfois.scot or follow @CFoIScot on X for updates.
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Give the Gift of Human Rights This December
This festive season, help us continue our vital work at the Human Rights Consortium. Your donation, no matter the size, directly supports our mission to make human rights accessible for all. As we work towards a world where everyone’s rights are upheld, your generosity ensures that we can keep advocating for justice and equality.