Human Rights: Capability Building Working Group minutes - August 2025

Attendees and apologies

Members and Deputies

• Audit Scotland
• Care Inspectorate (CI)
• COSLA
• Equality Network
• Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE)
• Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS)
• Improvement Service
• NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
• NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland
• Public Health Scotland
• Poverty Alliance
• Scottish Council for Voluntary Sector (SCVO)
• Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC)
• Third Sector Human Rights and Equalities (THRE)
• Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)
• University of Edinburgh (UoE)
• University of Glasgow (UoG)
• University of Strathclyde

Scottish Government

• Deputy Director, Human Rights Division
• Officials from the Human Rights Division
• Officials from the Mainstreaming and Inclusion Division
• Scottish Government Legal Department

Apologies

• Amnesty International
• Society of Local Authority Lawyers and Administrators in Scotland (SOLAR)
• Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS)
• Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Items and actions

Welcome

The Chair welcomed members and outlined the meeting objectives, including updates from Improvement Service and NHS Education for Scotland (NES), discussion of the Core Concepts document, and consultation on third sector capability building options. They highlighted the recent publication of the Human Rights Bill for Scotland Discussion Paper  and provided an update on work on the Mainstreaming Strategy. Members were also reminded of the upcoming Oversight Board meeting on the morning of Wednesday, 10 September.

Update from Improvement Service and NHS Education for Scotland

The newly appointed project leads at Improvement Service and NES were both in attendance at the meeting for the first time.

Improvement Service provided an overview of the Human Rights Capability Building Project with local authorities. The project aims to raise awareness, identify good practice, develop tailored materials, and assess needs of those in local authorities, as well as provide direct support. The emphasis will be on ensuring that international law is translated into language that is accessible in a local delivery context. Members commented that this work should build on existing work and materials that have been developed by Civil Society to avoid duplication. The work should focus on sustainability and longevity beyond the 9-month timeline. Together stressed that the inclusion of children’s rights should be considered as part of this project.

NES outlined the work planned with NHS boards, focusing on resource curation, leadership development, and accessibility. Members highlighted that Integrated Joint Boards, and the broader sector should be included, with responses acknowledging complexity.

Core Concept document

Scottish Government invited discussion on the Core Concepts document which was shared in advance of the meeting. The document provides detail on core human rights concepts as they relate to the four international human rights treaties and the right to a healthy environment which are set out to be included in the proposed Human Rights Bill. The document also includes an appendix with links to existing resources that Improvement Service and NES can build on. Members welcomed efforts to curate these concepts and resources into one document.

They highlighted corrections to draft wording related to the Equality Act as referenced and further suggestions included dating the document, linking to strategies such as the Disability Equality Plan and SNAP 2, as well as expanding on the application of the Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality framework. Members commented that they would welcome the inclusion of the Fairness, Respect, Equality, Dignity and Autonomy principles and further explanation of the role of civil society as human rights defenders. Concerns were raised about the UNCRC Act description and efforts should be made to ensure it is clear that the Act only applies when public authorities are exercising powers that come from devolved legislation or common law. In addition, members stated that the information on the right to a healthy environment should be strengthened.

Members were invited to submit written feedback by 15 August.

Update about current capability building work in the third sector

Updates were provided by:

Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS): Strasbourg Bulletin launched this week, this is a series of six articles explaining the Council of Europe. Webinars are planned on a range of issues celebrating 25 years of the Human Rights Act, and HRCS’ annual conference is scheduled for the 3rd of February 2025.

The ALLIANCE: The ALLIANCE integrates human rights across its work but has not had a dedicated programme until now. A new human rights programme is being developed, with plans to seek funding. A needs assessment and market research identified gaps in human rights knowledge and training among members. The programme will focus on training and capacity building, especially around economic, social, and cultural rights. Existing resources will be leveraged to avoid duplication and ensure accessibility.

Poverty Alliance: The Rights in Action project, funded by the Equality and Human Rights Fund, includes two capability-building workstreams and one research stream. Over 21 workshops have been delivered to raise awareness of economic, social, and cultural rights. Topics covered include participation, human rights law, and rights-based approaches. A series of learning events on the participation, accountability, non-discrimination, empowerment and legality (PANEL) principles has engaged over 200 organisations. Action Learning groups have helped community and national organisations embed human rights in their work. A new phase will begin soon, focusing on grassroots community activists.

Members comments included questions about the demand for capability building from both the perspectives of rights-holders and duty-bearers.

Presentation of Third Sector Options and Discussion

Scottish Government presented three options that the Scottish Government is currently considering to further support human rights capability building for the 2025/26 financial year:

• a roundtable with third sector stakeholders to identify gaps and strengths, followed by a report
• a workshop at The Gathering in February 2026 to promote a human rights-based approach
• potential for a small amount of funding to an organisation or partnership of organisations to start to build on existing work with a focus on the rights that a future Human Rights Bill will incorporate

Members broadly welcomed the third sector capability building proposals and commented that the focus should be on promoting good practice and building on existing materials. Members stressed the importance of reaching smaller organisations and suggested using existing networks, like the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation’s intermediaries or engaging the Third Sector Intermediary network, for a broader reach. It was suggested that discussions should focus on the practical issues surrounding economic, social and culture rights to engage smaller organisations in the project. Members supported the idea of roundtables and collaboration, but questioned the focus on economic, social, and cultural rights, suggesting considering the right to a healthy environment and group protection treaties as well. Officials stated that the idea would be for work to focus on the human rights to be incorporated by a future Human Rights Bill, including the rights to a healthy environment and the rights set out in the group protection treaties but with a particular initial emphasis on economic, social and cultural rights. Finally, members noted that many organisations are new to economic, social, and cultural rights, and called for a centralised, accessible resource hub, as existing materials are often siloed and hard to find.

Any Other Business

Members were thanked for their contributions and asked to provide any further comments on the Core Concepts document by 15 August. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for October. Members were reminded of the Oversight Board meeting on 10 September.