TY - JOUR

T1 - Integrating Sustainable Development and Children’s Rights: A Case Study on Wales

AU - Croke, Rhian

AU - Dale, Helen

AU - Dunhill, Ally

AU - Roberts, Arwyn

AU - Unnithan, Malvika

AU - Williams, Jane

PY - 2021/3/11

Y1 - 2021/3/11

N2 - The global disconnect between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), has been described as ‘a missed opportunity’. Since devolution, the Welsh Government has actively pursued a ‘sustainable development’ and a ‘children’s rights’ agenda. However, until recently, these separate agendas also did not contribute to each other, although they culminated in two radical and innovative pieces of legislation; the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure (2013) and the Well-being and Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015). This article offers a case study that draws upon the SDGs and the CRC and considers how recent guidance to Welsh public bodies for implementation attempts to contribute to a more integrated approach. It suggests that successful integration requires recognition of the importance of including children in deliberative processes, using both formal mechanisms, such as local authority youth forums, pupil councils and a national youth parliament, and informal mechanisms, such as child-led research, that enable children to initiate and influence sustainable change.

AB - The global disconnect between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), has been described as ‘a missed opportunity’. Since devolution, the Welsh Government has actively pursued a ‘sustainable development’ and a ‘children’s rights’ agenda. However, until recently, these separate agendas also did not contribute to each other, although they culminated in two radical and innovative pieces of legislation; the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure (2013) and the Well-being and Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015). This article offers a case study that draws upon the SDGs and the CRC and considers how recent guidance to Welsh public bodies for implementation attempts to contribute to a more integrated approach. It suggests that successful integration requires recognition of the importance of including children in deliberative processes, using both formal mechanisms, such as local authority youth forums, pupil councils and a national youth parliament, and informal mechanisms, such as child-led research, that enable children to initiate and influence sustainable change.

KW - Hawliau Plant

KW - Children's Rights

KW - sustainable development

KW - Wales

KW - devolution

KW - children's participation in decision making

U2 - https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10030100

DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10030100

M3 - Article

VL - 10

JO - Social Sciences

JF - Social Sciences

SN - 2076-0760

IS - 3

ER -