IN THE MATTER OF THE UK COVID-19 INQUIRY

IN THE MATTER OF THE UK COVID-19 INQUIRY AND IN THE MATTER OF A PRELIMINARY HEARING ON MODULE 2B OF THE INQUIRY HELD ON TUESDAY 1st NOVEMBER 2022 ____________________________________________ WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS MADE ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER FOR WALES ____________________________________________ Introduction 1. [...] This must be the Commissioner’s overriding objective when undertaking her work, and in so doing, the Commissioner must have regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – the international charter which sets out the minimum standards for children and young people wherever they live. [...] The Commissioner’s powers include: 4.1 The power to review the effect on children of exercise of functions or proposed exercise of functions of defined public bodies including Welsh Government; 4.2 The power to review and monitor how effective are the arrangements for complaints, whistleblowing and advocacy of defined public bodies in safeguarding and promoting the rights and welfare of children;. [...] CCfW would request that the Inquiry pays particular attention to the delivery of actions by the State to follow the advice of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which published in April 2020 a series of 11 key priorities for States to protect children’s human rights during the Coronavirus pandemic. [...] Rhodri Williams KC 27.x.22 Counsel for the Children’s Commissioner for Wales IN THE MATTER OF THE UK COVID-19 INQUIRY AND IN THE MATTER OF A PRELIMINARY HEARING INTO MODULE 2B OF THE INQUIRY TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY 1st NOVEMBER 2022 ______________________________________________________ WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS MADE ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER FOR WALES ______________________________________.