Hansard

Enshrining and protecting human rights is one of the most important duties of an elected politician. We are duty bound to stand up and speak out for people when it comes to human rights.

The work of parliamentarians would not be possible without the work of human rights defenders. Those are the individuals who put their own lives at risk in order to protect others and highlight human rights abuses to the wider public. It is vital that we recognise them and all that they do to protect human rights and give voice to issues that may not otherwise be heard. The strength and courage that these people show is admirable. Their commitment to their causes can help us to see where we need to focus our commitment as a society in Scotland and further afield. For those reasons, I support the Scottish Government in championing this Parliament as a defender of human rights.

Many human rights defenders in Scotland are children and young people. They proudly stand up for what they believe in and in order to change the debate nationally and globally. We need look only at the climate strike movement to know that children are playing a massive part in defending human rights across the world. The best way that we can offer support is by listening to them and taking their concerns seriously. They are the future. It is their future, and their understanding and thinking of human rights is often much more long term and sustainable than our own understanding and thinking.

In Scotland, we are fortunate to have various charities supporting care-experienced children, such as Who Cares? Scotland. Care-experienced children have been leading the way in advancing the discussion on children in the care system. Their voices are invaluable and we should support them as they progress their work.

I want to raise a couple of specific issues in the short time that I have available, neither of which will be a surprise to members in the chamber. Human rights are central to ensuring equality. Over the past 20 years, we have seen a political and societal change towards greater equality for the LGBT community. However, there are still challenges ahead, and I hope that we use the rest of this parliamentary session to tackle those challenges and allow the next Parliament to continue the work that still needs to be done.

Despite the advances for overall LGBT equality, the trans community finds itself in an environment that is increasingly hostile towards trans and non-binary people. We as parliamentarians should facilitate discussion. However, we should not tolerate inflammatory language designed to increase hostility. The political landscape should not be used to reinforce myths about the trans and non-binary community. I will always stand with trans rights defenders for the work that they do in Scotland and across the world to protect a minority that is facing increasingly common attacks and discrimination.

Gypsy Travellers continue to be a disadvantaged group, despite the very welcome progress that is being made. That community often faces discrimination from the media, from communities across Scotland and, sadly, from some in political parties reinforcing negative stereotypes. Education, healthcare and housing are human rights. We must do all that we can to defend the rights of the Gypsy Traveller community in Scotland.

I could address a number of other issues, such as the on-going damaging potential of Brexit. However, with the time that I have left, I will raise a couple of small issues that are happening across the globe right now.

In Myanmar, little action has been taken against the persecution of the Rohingya Muslims, which some experts have said could be genocide. I welcome the action taken by The Gambia that was reported in the media today.

In China, up to 1.5 million Muslims are being held in so-called re-education camps—let us be in no doubt that those are modern-day concentration camps. Global leaders must stand up to that practice and protect the right to religious observance.

I stand with human rights organisations in condemning those human right violations and commit to continuing to be a human rights defender for all.