About
The Right Way to meaningful participation
‘The Right Way’ is a project run by the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) and funded by the Scottish Government’s Children’s Rights Unit. It aims to support and challenge officials and decision-makers, as duty bearers, to work to ensure young people’s Article 12 right is respected.
The right for young people to have their views heard on matters that affect them and for those views to be taken seriously is one of the general principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). For many young people in Scotland, there is work to be done to ensure this right is fully realised.
The process through which this right is respected, protected, and fulfilled in policy decision making is called meaningful participation. Since 2022, a team of MSYPs worked with SYP staff, partners, and Scottish Government officials to develop resources designed to support decision-making adults and ensure the practice of meaningful participation with young people in their work.
Our work shows that The Right Way to engage with young people in decision-making will vary depending on several factors e.g. the young people involved, the policy area and who it impacts most, and timescales. The materials and resources on this website will support officials to build a process by which you plan and deliver meaningful engagement to meet the needs of everyone involved.
Article 12 in action
The Right Way project
SYP embodies Article 12 of the UNCRC, as a completely youth-led charity, the words and sentiment of Article 12 have profound importance for our work. Throughout The Right Way project, MSYPs and young people across Scotland have been central to its work. The project group of MSYPs, known as the ‘Young Rights Champions’, have led the projects direction, showcasing article 12 of the UNCRC in action.
In this video, Oluwatokepe from The Right Way project explains how Article 12 of the UNCRC was central to the work of the project.