Protecting human rights for everyone in Scotland
The Scottish Human Rights Commission works on legal, policy and practical issues that affect people's human rights in Scotland.
Human Rights Based Approach
Taking a human rights based approach is about making sure that people's rights are put at the very centre of policies and practices. Our self assessment toolkit can help you adopt a human rights based approach.
What We Do
The Scottish Human Rights Commission is an independent public body, accountable to the people of Scotland through the Scottish Parliament.
The Commission has a general duty to promote awareness, understanding and respect for all human rights – economic, social, cultural, civil and political – to everyone, everywhere in Scotland, and to encourage best practice in relation to human rights.
Our work in the South of Scotland
We are building a picture of economic social and cultural rights realisation across Scotland. Over the next six weeks we will visit and hear first-hand from human rights defenders on the ground about the issues facing their communities in Stranraer, Ayr, Dumfries, Kilmarnock, Hamilton, Irvine, Arran, Galashiels, Kelso, Dalkeith and Haddington.
How you can get involved
We will be holding community engagement events in Dumfries and Galashiels which will give us the opportunity to hear from individuals and community groups about how they are experiencing these rights in their everyday lives. We will also publish an online survey for those who can't attend in person.
Keep up with the Commission
What are Spotlight Projects?
Our Spotlight Projects shine a light on key human rights issues in Scotland which are of particular concern to the Commission and take a deeper look at how best to address them.
What issues are we working on?
Find out about the projects we are currently working on below.
We are also scoping out future Spotlight Projects which will be based on the priority areas identified in our 2024-28 Strategic Plan. This plan was informed by consultations with rights holders, civil society and key stakeholders.
