Diolch. A couple of weeks ago it was United Nations Universal Children's Day, and I had the great pleasure of attending the Young Wales conference, which brought together young people from across Wales for a conversation with Government Ministers. It was a privilege to be part of this event. It provided me, together with the First Minister and other Cabinet Ministers, including the Minister for Social Justice, with an opportunity to hear directly from children and young people about their concerns, issues and hopes for the future. The conference was designed by young people for young people, and the topics ranged from climate change and mental health and well-being to equality and diversity issues, and the Deputy Minister for Mental Health was also there at the conference. The conference enabled an honest and direct dialogue between Government and young people, which was incredibly valuable.

The importance of children's voice is central to the draft children's rights scheme 2021, which we are debating today. It's 10 years since we introduced the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011, which places a duty on Welsh Ministers to pay due regard to the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This provides children with the right to life, health, education, play and family, as well as protection from violence, discrimination and suppression. This important legislation has ensured that children and children's rights are central to policy making and legislation here in Wales. As Members will be aware, the Measure sets out a requirement for us to publish a children's rights scheme. It is right that 10 years after the Measure was introduced, we revisit the scheme and review our arrangements.

Before outlining some of the key changes in the revised scheme, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the previous Children, Young People and Education Committee for their inquiry into children's rights. Their report, which was published in August of last year, has been an incredible source of evidence for us as we have updated the scheme. So, what approach was taken to update the scheme? We looked closely at the children's commissioner's 'The Right Way—A Children’s Rights Approach in Wales', adopting the five ways of working. The revised scheme has, therefore, been structured around the following key principles: how to embed children's rights; how to ensure equality and non-discrimination for all children; how to empower children; how to facilitate meaningful participation; and how to put in place clear accountability structures. Structuring the scheme in this way helps integrate children's rights even further into the decision-making process. I consulted on the draft scheme between December 2020 and March 2021, and I'd like to thank all of those who responded, especially the children and young people who took the time to share their thoughts with us. 

I will highlight some of the key features in the revised scheme. First, we've developed a manual to provide practical advice and support for Welsh Government officials to embed children's rights within their day-to-day work. It provides a step-by-step guide on how to complete a children’s rights impact assessment and, as I’m sure Members are aware, the children’s rights impact assessment, as part of the integrated impact assessment process, provides a framework for Welsh Government officials to think about and record whether our policy proposals are supporting children and young people’s rights. It enables us to identify possible impacts, both positive and negative, on children with different life experiences. The manual also provides advice and guidance on how to engage with children and young people, as well as links to the latest training and resources. It’s intended to be a flexible resource that can be updated when required, to ensure that officials and Ministers have access to the latest evidence. To support transparency, we published the manual ahead of this debate, and shared the link with Members. Following the committee’s report, we moved swiftly to publish completed child rights impact assessments on the Welsh Government’s website, and I can confirm that we will continue.

Secondly, we’ve developed a new model to support Ministers and officials in engaging with children and young people. Article 12 of the UNCRC gives children the right to have their say in matters that affect them, and to have their opinions taken into account. Our model seeks to enable the voice of the child to be heard at every level of Government—at ministerial level, within Government departments, and within individual policy teams. It aims to promote principles of good practice when working with children and young people, ensuring participatory work is representative, reflects the diverse nature of children and young people in Wales, and encourages officials to work on a long-term basis with children and young people to increase the depth of participation and the quality of insight. As I’m sure Members are aware, Ministers meet children and young people on a regular basis, however, the scheme sets out the expectation that every Minister and Deputy Minister will meet with children and young people each year. This highlights the value we place on hearing the voice of children and young people in every part of Government.

Thirdly, we’ve published our raising awareness plan for children’s rights. We know children and young people cannot access and enjoy their rights unless they themselves and those around them know about the UNCRC and their rights. Article 42 of the UNCRC states that governments must actively work to make sure that children and adults know about the convention. The aim of our plan goes beyond sharing knowledge, and seeks to empower children and young people to exercise their rights as citizens of Wales and the world. It’s aimed at children, young people, their parents and carers, as well as professionals working with children and young people. A key part of this plan will be our work with key stakeholders, including the children’s commissioner and UNICEF, to develop a collective vision, to improve awareness and understanding of the UNCRC. And Universal Children’s Day, which is held on 20 November each year, will be an important date to use to raise awareness of children’s rights across Government and beyond.

And fourthly, we have enhanced the feedback and the complaints process for young people. This is something the children, young persons and education committee raised in its report. We want to make it as easy as possible for children and young people to have their voices heard. We really want to hear from them about what we do well and where we can do better.

And the fifth area that I’d like to mention is the package of support for officials and Ministers to effectively deliver these arrangements. This includes e-learning modules for all Welsh Government staff on children’s rights and children’s rights impact assessments, as well as inviting external speakers to address Welsh Government officials and Ministers on children’s rights issues. The children’s commissioner recently gave an insightful presentation to officials to coincide with Universal Children’s Day. So, together, these arrangements complement the manual for staff that I mentioned earlier.

And, lastly, but crucially, in terms of accountability, we've reaffirmed our commitment within this scheme to report on progress every 2.5 years.

So, in conclusion, I commend this revised scheme to you. These arrangements, together with available support, underpin our commitment to furthering children's rights. So, I look forward to listening to Members' views. Diolch yn fawr.