Children's Rights: EC Action

Angus Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Treaty of Lisbon, if ratified, on the rights of children and young people.

Mr. Jim Murphy
The Treaty of Lisbon sets out for the first time in article 1.4 that the protection of children’s rights is one of the objectives of the EU:

“It (the EU) shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection, equality between women and men, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the child.”

The Government support this reference which ensures that children’s rights are taken into account in the EU’s actions.

The treaty also recognises the importance of protecting children’s rights in its outward facing actions:

“In its relations with the wider world, the Union shall... contribute to... eradication of poverty and the protection of human rights, in particular the rights of the child....”.