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Children's Commissioner

On 1 March 2001, the Assembly established an independent children’s champion with a wide-ranging remit covering all children in Wales. The Children’s Commissioner for Wales is an independent human rights institution.

Aims

The Commissioner’s aims are:

  • to safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of children and young people in Wales
  • to monitor progress by Government in implementing children and young people’s human and civil rights. 

A UK first

Wales was the first country in the UK to establish a Children’s Commissioner. All the other administrations have since followed suit.  In its Concluding Observations 2008, the UNCRC committee welcomed the fact that all four UK administrations now have a Children’s Commissioner.

Appointing the Commissioner

The Children’s Commissioner for Wales is appointed for seven years. Children and young people play a full part in choosing the Commissioner.

The first Commissioner was the late Peter Clarke who took up post in 2001. The current Children’s Commissioner is Keith Towler. He took up office on 3 March 2008.

More information

For more information about the Commissioner’s work visit the Children’s Commissioner website.