Have the UNCRC been advised Child Rights in Mann are a ‘political football’

The Isle of Man hasn’t got much of record when to comes to ‘the rights of the child’. As a country we retained birching until pressure from the Council of Europe and the United Kingdom made it untenable. More recently the Island which had avoided the child care scandals that have swept the British Isles finally started to confront its awful past - although how much of what the Tynwald Committee looking into this comes up with will determine if its a whitewash. We also infamously imprisoned children in the main prison while the rest of the UK if not the World looked on aghast.

The one recent positive for children's rights was the projection by the new Quayle administration of a the ‘Children's Champion’ job in government. The role went to Daphne Caine MHK a thoughtful and incisive person who it seems wanted to make the role and her tenure a positive one.

I’m bound to say I thought at the time that the title ‘Childrens Champion’ was a bit naff and it sounded like to Isle of Man was trying to get a Children's Commissioner (as exists in UK countries) on the cheap. However Caines obvious passion and enthusiasm for the role tempered any misgivings.

However suddenly she has resigned apparently because only eighteen months into the job the goal posts have been moved (link):

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/caine-resigns-as-childre...

Caine sets out her reasons in some detail and there is a copy of her letter to the Chief Minister and his response at this link on the Crown Dependency News pages:

https://www.facebook.com/crowndependencypoliticalnews/posts/186761784992...

Caine concludes her letter by suggesting that a Commissioner for Children free from political interference would be a positive step and I agree with her on this.

She also mentions the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and it is to be hoped that she will write to the UNCRC and set out the full background to this episode. Having dealt with the UNCRC I know that when the next periodic report on the UK Crown Dependencies is sought they will enquire in to this. After all there is no point in this being a 24 hour wonder in the Manx News the real issue is to have critical oversight of the rights of children and only an external source can provide the objectivity to ensure the Manx government are not shortchanging on their International obligations. Children’s rights are not a ‘political football’.

Footnote: Apparently the CC role was originally held by Dudley Butt (a former MLC). however I'm bound to say I wasn't aware of that so it shows what impact the role had at that time!