Scottish Parliament debates Commission’s findings on Economic, Social and Cultural rights in the Highlands and Islands

The Commission welcomes the Scottish Parliament’s debate on our report Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Highlands and Islands.

Published on 27 November 2024, our findings indicate challenges with accessing human rights to health, housing and food across the Highlands and Islands, and reveal a range of systemic issues that demand urgent attention.

The Parliamentary debate, in the name of Rhoda Grant MSP, is due on Thursday 16 January 2025 following First Minister’s Questions at midday.

A briefing has been sent to all Members of the Scottish Parliament ahead of the debate and is available by clicking the provided link or on our website at www.scottishhumanrights.com.  You can watch the debate on Scottish Parliament TV.

Professor Angela O’Hagan is Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission. She says:

“The Commission has a general duty to take action to promote human rights for everyone in Scotland. One of the ways we do this is by reporting to the Scottish Parliament on how these are being met, to assist MSPs in their own collective role as the ultimate guarantor of human rights.

"The Commission is very concerned about the poor state of economic, social and cultural rights in the Highlands and Islands. Too many people are hungry, homeless, without access to healthcare, and the basics for everyday life.

“With this work, we piloted a new way of monitoring, one that brings the Commission closer to communities and is informed by their voices and experiences. We now plan to take our approach to the South of Scotland in 2025 to assess the situation across that region.

“While we continue to develop this way of working, we welcome the Scottish Parliament’s focus on our findings by debating the human rights of people in the communities of the Highlands and Islands.”

Notes to editors:

1. The Scottish Human Rights Commission is Scotland’s human rights watchdog. It is an independent public body, created by the Scottish Commission for Human Rights Act 2006, to protect and promote the human rights of all people in Scotland. 

2. You can read more about our report on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Highlands and Islands on our dedicated website page.

3. Between February and March 2025, we will be travelling again to the Highlands and Islands to share our findings and enable community members to use this report to defend their rights. We will also be offering to meet with duty-bearers, to provide support and capacity-building on how to take a human rights based approach. More information will be published on our website page and on our social media accounts on X (@ScotHumanRights), Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.