SCOTLAND has seen a significant and transformational change in recent years in how we value and treat our children. This shift in policy and attitude will take another huge step forward when, in the coming year, the Scottish Parliament is expected to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

I believe this is one of the most important pieces of legislation ever to come before the Parliament, signalling a measurable commitment to the wellbeing of our children’s present and their future. The Children’s Parliament will celebrate its 25th birthday in 2021 and will host “A Year of Childhood” in 2021 to mark and celebrate this milestone.

A few years ago, Finland recognised it faced significant challenges and, in the words of a that “if we want to build a strong and resilient country we need to start with our little children”. They did just that and the evidence of the success of that approach can be seen in the numerous international education and wellbeing league tables where Finland sits at or near the top.

It is exciting to see Scotland, too, demonstrating a determination to invest in our children. Putting the force of the law behind basic human rights for children offers the promise of creating a society where we get things right at the start, and allows children to achieve their potential, develop their skills and talents and live happier lives. This strategy also assures a great future for Scotland, everyone’s Scotland.

All too often, initiatives aimed at children are designed to fix the effect of problems such as child abuse, deep poverty, bullying etc – problems that could have been averted if children’s human rights were more widely understood and accepted.

Teaching children about their own rights and how to voice their worries and concerns is a powerful tool in improving their lives and our society.

The notion of “children’s rights” can be twisted and misconstrued to sound as if they mean children becoming spoiled and indulged – but that is not what this is about.

In fact, the rights in question are ones that guarantee some of the most basic of human needs.

They include: the right to be safe from harm; the right to privacy; the right to be guided by parents or carers; the right to government help if they are poor or in need; the right to be listened to; and the right to have their views taken into account when we plan and deliver services.

Children’s voices add value and weight to strategies, policies and law and incorporation of the UNCRC offers legislative insurance to help ensure Scotland achieves its future potential. It’s a future we all share and we all have an equal investment in making sure Scotland succeeds.

Incorporation of the UNCRC means that for the first time, children’s rights are enshrined in law, just as mine are and yours and everyone’s. It is a landmark development and a sign of a country that is not afraid to be held to account for the way it treats its youngest citizens.

The work of Children’s Parliament evidences the powerful nature of a human rights approach as a preventative model that is why I took on the role of Chief Ufeartie. Watching children who struggled emotionally begin to recognise their own worth, grow in confidence and become able to engage and contribute positively to their community convinced me of the power of a human rights approach.

Creating a human rights culture means putting trust, kindness, empathy and respect for everyone’s human dignity at the heart of all we do for children and for adults.

The Children’s Parliament will celebrate its 25th year amplifying good practice and encouraging a movement of Unfearties to take up the challenge of making sure we properly resource and celebrate childhood. Please join us at www.childrensparliament.org.uk/unfearties. The new law is significant, and a welcome step forward but it will not by itself change everything overnight; for the moment our children still need allies, so the job of the Unfearties is not done yet.

John Carnochan is Chief Unfeartie, of Scotland’s Children’s Parliament. Unfearties are adults who are willing to stand up for and alongside children with the aim of ensuring their childhoods are based on the human rights principles of kindness, empathy, trust and respect for everyone’s human dignity

What does it take to make a child’s life happy?

A conversation with Emili, 12, about love, happiness, and understanding in childhood

Love: A child feels love when they are listened to, when they are talked to, when they are acknowledged, and when they know there will be someone there for them.

Adults need to talk to children like they are loved. In a nice way … “I like your hair today” or “how was your day at school?”. They need to feed their children and make sure they can eat even when they are in poverty. The Government should do more to help with poverty because that is one heck of an issue.

What makes you feel loved at school is nice teachers who don’t often shout. If they do shout it is barely shouting at all, just slightly raising their voice. It isn’t bad enough to scare you or make you feel upset. They should be more thoughtful towards children because raising voices is not nice, even if it’s not directed at you.

Happiness: What makes children happy is their friends; learning enough things in a positive learning environment that is not stressful but nice and quiet and relaxed; adults who talk to them and help them with things; a nice warm house and food.

Drawing makes me happy – I love art. You don’t have to think about anything else, you just get to relax, spill your thoughts on to paper. Even if you aren’t thinking of anything in particular, it quite often reflects what you are feeling. What gets in the way of feeling happy is loud angry people, or when a child’s house is cold, or they don’t have warm meals. If they don’t have many nice friends who talk to them. If they are being bullied. If teachers aren’t understanding enough.

Adults need to look out for children and to have trust in them. If a child thinks there may be something wrong with them or something happens to them, make sure to listen to them because what they have to say could be important – everything we say is important!

Understanding: Children feel understood when adults take children’s opinions into consideration. To be understood is to be noticed for what you are saying. To really understand someone you have to listen to them and respect them and make sure they respect you as respect should be two-sided. In primary school there was this kid who sometimes didn’t listen. Our teacher would always assume that every time something happened that it was them and it wasn’t. It was really annoying and frustrating. If it was me, it would make me cry.

Sometimes I just wanted to pretend it was me so they didn’t get all the blame, but I never did. I wish I had.

My English teacher always understands everyone. When she tells someone off she does it without shouting and she explains calmly.

She says things like “everyone’s work is so amazing” and it is always so nice to hear that.

Childhood: It’s when you learn to form opinions and you become the person you’ll be for pretty much the rest of your life.