Charities and other groups have backed the Scotland Declaration on Human Rights
More than a hundred third sector groups have called for human rights to be protected in the face of Brexit.
Charities, campaigners and civil society leaders have joined forces to launch a new Scotland Declaration on Human Rights.
Signatories to the declaration – including trade unions, faith groups, national charities and professional bodies such as the British Medical Association and Scottish Football Association – are calling on the country's law and policy makers to take all possible steps to protect people’s rights, and to make Scotland a world leader when it comes to human rights.
The declaration was unveiled at the Glasgow Women’s Library today (Monday).
It comes as new research, published by the Scottish Human Rights Commission, shows considerable support for human rights.
The research, which saw more than 1,500 Scots questioned, revealed that almost three times as many people support (42%) human rights being championed, compared to 13% who were in opposition.
The declaration has been created by the Human Rights Consortium for Scotland and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, with backing from the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Scottish Human Rights Commission.
A joint statement from the parties said that they are worried about the impact that Brexit will have on human rights.
“We are concerned about the potential loss of protections for rights as a consequence of Brexit, and about the impact of the persistent negative rhetoric around human rights in parts of the UK, particularly in politics and the media,” it said.
“We are therefore calling on law and policy makers to show leadership in these challenging times, taking all possible steps to protect rights and equality for everyone, and putting Scotland on the map as a world leader on these issues.”
Judith Robertson, chairwoman of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, said that leaving the EU could affect aspects of rights to a fair trial and data protection but what was more at risk was the backstop of protection that the EU provides.
“What we are trying to draw attention to is that the backstop of protection that the EU provides by being able to hold the UK government to account will disappear,” she said.
“The protection we currently have will go. We will no longer be party to the progress that the EU is making on human rights, so there is a potential gap that is of real concern between the rights people in the EU enjoy and the rights we have in the UK.”
