Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance supports civil society demands for bold, rights-based change and inclusive participation through independent advocacy.
The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) welcomes the publication of “Our Rights, Our Future”, the civil society manifesto from Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS), which sets out a compelling vision for embedding human rights across Scotland’s law, policy, and practice. At a time when rights are increasingly misunderstood or sidelined, the manifesto offers a clear and urgent call to action: make human rights real for everyone in Scotland.
SIAA align with HRCS in their manifesto call urging all political parties to place human rights at the core of their vision for a more equal and thriving Scotland by committing to the introduction of a Scottish Human Rights Bill and develop of robust mechanisms to make all human rights enforceable and hold duty bearers accountable. This Bill would provide a clear statement of brave leadership in addressing the root causes of poverty, inequality, and discrimination for everyone.
Additionally, the manifesto recognises independent advocacy as a vital mechanism for enabling people—especially those who are marginalised or excluded—to understand and claim their human rights. It calls for increased provision of both individual and collective advocacy across Scotland, ensuring that people are supported to navigate complex systems and participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their lives.
The manifesto calls for the next Scottish Government to: “Increase the provision of individual and collective advocacy across Scotland to ensure people who are marginalised are better supported to access their human rights and entitlements.” This aligns with SIAA’s longstanding position that independent advocacy is not an optional extra—it is essential infrastructure for a rights-respecting democracy. Independent advocacy supports people to speak up, be heard, and challenge decisions, particularly when they face multiple barriers due to discrimination.
SIAA Chief Executive Suzanne Swinton commented:
“Independent advocacy is a key enabler of human rights. It ensures that people are not just passive recipients of services, but active participants in shaping their lives and communities. We welcome HRCS’s call to expand independent advocacy provision and embed it within Scotland’s human rights infrastructure.”
The HRCS manifesto, grounded in the lived experiences of communities across Scotland, highlights the need to tackle inequality and discrimination through participatory approaches, robust data collection, and transparent accountability mechanisms. It calls for:
- Systematic collection of disaggregated human rights and equality data
- Co-production and lived experience models such as citizens juries and community-led reporting
- Capacity building programmes for marginalised communities
- Mandatory Human Rights and Equality Impact Assessments across all law, policy, and practice
These proposals echo the principles of independent advocacy—centering lived experience, amplifying voices, and holding duty-bearers to account. Advocacy organisations are well-placed to support these efforts, ensuring that rights are not just written into law, but realised in practice.
For SIAA, the manifesto’s emphasis on independent advocacy is a welcome affirmation of its central role in Scotland’s human rights journey. As the 2026 election approaches, SIAA will continue to advocate for robust, accessible, and properly funded indepenendent advocacy provision.
You can read the full manifesto at Human Rights Consortium Scotland
Transparency note: this article was written by SIAA staff and then edited both by using Claude AI and by the SIAA staff team.
