9 December 2015

The First Minister joined delegates at an innovation forum to discuss how we can all do more to protect human rights in Scotland.

The forum was held on the eve of International Human Rights Day on 10 December, and sought to discuss the progress of Scotland’s National Action Plan on human rights (SNAP), which is now two years old.

The event, organised by the Scottish Human Rights Commission and Scottish Government, brought together human rights experts – including some from the United Nations, Germany and Finland – to talk about the potential for Scotland to further embrace economic, social and cultural rights.

The First Minister told the delegates:

We are meeting on the eve of International Human Rights Day, which commemorates the signing on 10 December 1948 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

“The Scottish government values the Human Rights Act. We see it as a proportionate, pragmatic and progressive way of ensuring that the protections of the European Convention of Human Rights can be taken into account by UK courts. We see those protections as being essential to any civilised society. And they are especially important to those with least power.”

You can read her speech here.

The First Minister opened what has been a very interesting day so far on human rights in Scotland. #OurRightsSNAP pic.twitter.com/ivxRUMZ9mz

— LGBT Youth Scotland (@LGBTYS) December 9, 2015

Prof Alan Miller welcomes @NicolaSturgeon commitment to real progress on human rights in Scotland #OurRightsSNAP pic.twitter.com/5vi5HN1wKY

— Sandra McDougall (@SandraMcDougal2) December 9, 2015

You can read more about the forum here.