Human Rights Tracker Design Group minutes: July 2025

Attendees and apologies

 

• Kavita Chetty, Scottish Government
• International Human Rights Policy team
• Charlie McMillan, Human Rights Consortium Scotland
• Farah Farzana, Scottish Council Equality Network
• Shilla Shomai, Together
• Professor Alan Miller, University of Strathclyde
• Rhona Willder, Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
• Stewart MacLachlan, Amnesty International
• Emma Hunter, Observer, Children and Young People Commissioner
• Eilidh Dickson, Scottish Human Rights Commission
• Christopher Clannachan, Equality Network
• Rob Gowans, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland

Apologies

• Brianna Fletcher, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
• Euan Donald, Scottish Parliament
• Nicki Georghiou, Scottish Parliament

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions

The Chair welcomed members to the meeting and outlined the meeting agenda.

Minutes of previous meeting

Members approved the minutes of the previous meeting.

Overview of the Project Initiation Document

Scottish Government officials provided a summary of the Project Initiation Document (PID) that had been shared with members in advance of the meeting. Officials noted that the document was presented as a draft and invited members to provide any further views in writing by 25 July for finalisation.

In summarising the PID, officials noted that it aims to capture the Design Group’s emerging consensus on ownership, form, functionality and scope as developed through previous meetings. Officials indicated that, as previously discussed, the development process has been split into the following phases:

Phase One will include a public-facing interface with a repository of the Concluding Observations (COs). Although the PID suggests including COs from the recent International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) Interactive Dialogue our intention is to include recent COs from all core United Nations human rights treaties .

Subject to the outcome of 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, Phase Two aims to consider and develop an implementation methodology for reporting action of relevant Concluding Observations, include initial information regarding implementation and consider views on long-term ownership, scope and advanced functionality.
The PID also outlines the Design Group members’ consensus for adopting an off the shelf software to be adapted to the Scottish context and initially administered by the Scottish Government. In the discussion that followed, members provided the following reflections:

• Members welcomed the PID and commented that it was clearly presented and well written;
• Members encouraged a more ambitious approach to the content of Phase 1 to include implementation data;
• Members highlighted several risk factors, including budget constraints, timeframes, and the potential implications of the Scottish Parliament elections outcome;
• Phase Two should be further developed within the PID, and the 'whole-of-society' approach should be more prominently reflected as part of the tool’s longer-term ambition; and wanted to see a more clearly articulated overview of the ‘problem’ that the tracker is seeking to fix, and the ambitions for the tracker post launch.

The Chair acknowledged members’ views and emphasised both the importance of developing a robust implementation methodology for Phase Two, and the need to take a pragmatic approach to what can be achieved by March 2026 in order to meet ministerial commitments.

The Chair summarised views and confirmed that an updated PID reflecting the discussion would be shared with members in due course.

Impact Assessments

Officials advised that three impact assessments are required to be completed and published alongside the tracker, including Equality, Fairer Scotland and Children’s Rights and Well-being. Officials acknowledged the wealth of experience among members and noted that an online workshop will be held later in the year to support the development of the impact assessments. Members were invited to contact officials if they wish to participate in the workshop.

Actions and date of next meeting

The following actions were agreed by the Group:

• Members will contribute any further views on the PID by correspondence by 25 July;
• Officials will update the PID and share the final version with members;
• Officials will provide Ministerial advice in September and update the group on the Minister’s decision; and
• A note of the meeting will be shared with members and published on the Scottish Government website.

The Chair thanked members and noted that officials will follow up via correspondence with relevant updates or convene a further meeting in November/December once the development phase has begun.