EYE SUPPLEMENT Research: Rights for babies?

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is applicable to all children and young people under the age of 18. This includes babies and very young children, yet they are a group who are overlooked in the realisation of their rights, and very often not seen as entitled to them in the first place.

The concept of babies as rights-holders was a driver in research I undertook between May and September 2023, for my MSc in Children’s Rights dissertation at Queen’s University Belfast (graduating in December 2023). Having worked in the field of arts and early years in Scotland for over 18 years, I have had a long-standing interest in the policy and practice relating to babies and young children and how this supports their development. The most significant policy development affecting babies, children and young people in Scotland over the last ten years has been the UNCRC being incorporated into domestic law. While the legislation finally came into effect in July this year, the momentum surrounding incorporation has led to an evolving children’s rights discourse that has transcended multiple sectors. Engaging in broader children’s rights discussions and reflecting on where babies and young children were or were not included was a catalyst for developing my understanding of rights through post-graduate study.