Policies and proposals put to Jersey's parliament will soon need to include a statement of how they affects children's rights.

States Members will vote next month on enacting a new law to demonstrate how the island is complying with the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.

If approved, from January 2024 propositions, new laws and policies will need to include a Child Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA).

This means there will have to be a process whereby Ministers or State members have to look at the impact of the child's rights on whatever they are proposing.

The Children (Convention Rights) (Jersey) Law 2022 was agreed by the States Assembly in March 2022. It sets out how the island is ensuring it complies with the UNCRC.

The Assistant Children's Minister Deputy Louise Doublet, says she is really proud of Jersey for taking these steps.

"We're actually the first Crown Dependency to incorporate the UNCRC into our domestic legislation, and we're doing that alongside other countries like Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Spain, Finland and other places which have made similar changes."

Ensuring that children's voices are heard was among the recommendations of the 2017 Independent Jersey Care Inquiry into the abuse of children in the care system.

Deputy Doublet made the original proposition several years ago, following the IJCI report, and says she is pleased to see it so close to coming into force.

"Historically, as the Care Inquiry shows, as an island we haven't always put the needs and rights of children at the forefront of our decision-making, and that should never happen again.

We should do better, and we have been doing better.

My aspiration is that Jersey will be a truly child-centred island that does the best for its children so they can all thrive and live happy lives."