Scottish Government high level action plan in response to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Ministerial Foreword

I am delighted to present the Scottish Government’s High Level Action Plan which sets out the activity we are taking to respond to the Concluding Observations made by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UN Committee) during the seventh State Party review of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

Since the last State Party review in 2016, we have faced significant global and domestic challenges. The UK left the European Union, we experienced a global pandemic, impacts of the wars in Ukraine and Palestine continue to reverberate across Europe, we are experiencing an ongoing cost of living and housing crisis and we are seeing increasingly divisive rhetoric which is threatening community cohesion. These challenges have reinforced the urgent need to increasingly place human rights, and in particular economic, social, and cultural rights, at the heart of policy and practice. This is reflected in our Programme for Government which sets out the ambitious actions we are taking to tackle our four key priorities: eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and ensuring high quality and sustainable public services.

As the Minister responsible for equality, inclusion, and human rights, I fully welcome domestic and international scrutiny of our record. A significant number of policy areas relating to economic, social, and cultural rights are devolved to Scotland. Our participation in the cyclical review of the ICESCR process provides an opportunity to demonstrate the progress that we are continuing to take to implement human rights and make rights real for the people of Scotland.

During the Interactive Dialogue in February 2025, the Scottish Government presented evidence across a range of devolved policy areas, including fair work, social security, child poverty, housing, education, and cultural rights. The UN Committee welcomed Scotland’s distinct approach to realising rights, particularly through the proposed Human Rights Bill which would aim to incorporate ICESCR into domestic law, within the limits of devolved competence. Scotland’s public health based strategy for addressing alcohol and drug use and deaths was also positively noted. In their Concluding Observations, the UN Committee further commended Scotland’s commitment to advancing children’s rights, as demonstrated through both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 and the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017.

This is all part of our work to continue to develop a rights respecting culture in Scotland by embedding human rights into everything we do. This is demonstrated by our National Performance Framework, our vision for a fairer more inclusive society, which includes a National Outcome to respect, protect and fulfil human rights and live free from discrimination. This outcome is realised through a number of strategic workstreams, including Scotland’s Second National Human Rights Action Plan, the Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy, and human rights budgeting.

We are working with our partners to deliver a Human Rights Tracker Tool which is being designed with an aim to further promote transparency, accountability, and collaboration in implementing international human rights obligations. It will aim to enable monitoring of progress on actions related to devolved matters and support meaningful engagement with stakeholders. By making Scotland’s human rights commitments visible and accessible, the tool will help increasingly embed rights in law, policy, and practice.

Whilst Scotland has made good progress in its collective human rights journey, the UN Committee highlighted areas such as poverty, housing, food, and healthcare, where there is still work to be done. We do not shy away from these issues – instead, we recognise these challenges and are committed to tackling them head on with transparency and accountability. Central to our commitment to human rights leadership is listening to our partners and civil society, learning from global best practice, and responding constructively to scrutiny – whether from UN bodies, Scotland’s vibrant civil society, the UK’s National Human Rights Institutions, or Members of the Scottish Parliament.

Realising rights for everyone in Scotland is a shared endeavour. Our collective agenda is ambitious and forward-looking, and we must continually strive to do more and do better to ensure that rights are increasingly respected, protected, and fulfilled.

This High Level Action Plan marks not the conclusion, but a continuation of our dialogue on the ICESCR Concluding Observations. We invite all those with an interest in advancing human rights to engage with the actions set out in this plan and to work with us as we take the next steps on Scotland’s human rights journey. Our commitment to progressing economic, social, and cultural rights remains steadfast, and we will continue to collaborate with stakeholders, partners, and rights holders across Scotland to make those rights real.

Kaukab Stewart MSP

Minister for Equalities