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WQ.96/2021
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY R.J. WARD OF ST. HELIER
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 8th MARCH 2021 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 15th MARCH 2021
Question
Will the Chief Minister advise what guidance or instruction, if any, has been provided to Ministers regarding the inclusion of a Children's Rights Impact Assessment for all Propositions brought to the Assembly, in order to promote the strategic aim of putting children first?
Answer
In July 2020, the Council of Ministers approved the policy model for indirect incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Jersey law. This legislation, which will introduce a statutory Children's Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA), is now being drafted and is expected to be lodged for debate before the end of this year. The exact date of enactment is currently being considered as part of this work.
The first phase of the law will require everyone who is entitled to lodge a proposition under Standing Order 19, to complete and publish a CRIA, as part of the lodging process.
Following agreement by Ministers, the draft CRIA process is currently being piloted within Government and the States Assembly as part of the preparations for the enactment of the indirect incorporation law. Participation in the pilot is voluntary; CRIA will remain an optional process until the law comes into force in 2022.
In preparation for this legislation, development of the final format for Jersey's CRIA process and associated supporting materials is now underway. As part of this work we are reviewing resources and processes from other jurisdictions where CRIA is already established, together with the recent work undertaken on CRIA by the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC).
During February, the Minister for Children and Education launched a mandatory Children's Rights Awareness e-learning course to all Government of Jersey employees. This course will provide a universal foundation for more tailored training and support which will follow. Our approach has been informed by the independent Training Needs Analysis, which was commissioned from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in 2020. This addressed the anticipated support requirements of Ministers, Government Officers, States Members and Community and Voluntary Sector organisations, ahead of the indirect incorporation of the UNCRC into Jersey law.