Scotland, Human Rights and Equality: what public bodies need to do next

Tuesday 15th September 2026

Human rights and equality duties are becoming central to public service delivery in Scotland. Equality and human rights mainstreaming is not a single policy area. Public bodies now need to show how rights, equality, accessibility and inclusion are built into decisions, services, communications, procurement, complaints and accountability.

The Scottish Government published its Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Action Plan on 8 December 2025. It brings together 61 actions across six drivers: leadership, accountability and transparency, regulatory and policy environment, evidence and experience, capability and culture, and capacity. The plan is explicitly intended to support equality, diversity and inclusion in policy and practice. Its aim is to show how equality and human rights can be embedded across government and the wider public sector. It also sits alongside continuing debate about Scotland’s proposed human rights legislation, the public sector equality duty, UNCRC implementation, gender and sex-based rights, disability rights, anti-racism, poverty and fairer budget decisions.

This conference examines what public bodies need to do next in light of a range of policy drivers. These include the proposed future Human Rights Bill for Scotland, the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, the Public Sector Equality Duty, equality and human rights mainstreaming and changing equality guidance.

Delegates will explore how rights-based decision-making can be evidenced, how children’s rights and inclusive communication can be implemented, how equality evidence can be improved and how competing rights can be managed lawfully and proportionately.

Bringing together public bodies, regulators, legal specialists, equality organisations, children’s rights experts, academics and third sector voices, the conference will help delegates turn legal and policy duties into defensible decisions, accessible services, stronger accountability and better outcomes.

This online conference will focus on three themes:

• Moving from action plans to implementation
• Mainstreaming in services, spending and procurement
• Law, scrutiny and difficult implementation choices

---

Key themes for discussion

---

• Understanding how to move from action plan to implementation
• Focussing on Scotland’s human rights agenda - what public bodies should prepare for
• Embedding rights with the Human Rights Bill - incorporation, duties and practical implications
• Hearing about UNCRC implementation - children’s rights in public authority decisions
• Taking on mainstreaming in services, spending and procurement
• Addressing Public Sector Equality Duty and mainstreaming
• Discussing inclusive communication, accessibility and service design
• Targeting law, scrutiny and difficult implementation choices
• Considering competing rights, single-sex services and lawful decision-making
• Action on the challenge of anti-racism, equality evidence and accountability for outcomes

---

Who should attend?

---

This conference will be of relevance to:

• Equality, diversity and inclusion leads
• Human rights, policy and strategy officers
• Legal, governance and compliance teams
• Public Sector Equality Duty leads
• Children’s rights and UNCRC implementation leads
• Complaints, scrutiny and accountability officers
• Service managers in councils, NHS boards, housing, education, justice and social care
• Accessibility and inclusive communication leads
• Digital inclusion and service design teams
• Procurement and commissioning professionals
• Community engagement and participation officers
• Third sector organisations delivering public services
• Regulators, inspectors and ombudsman bodies
• Senior managers responsible for lawful, fair and inclusive public service delivery
• Elected members, board members and non-executive directors with equality, rights or governance responsibilities

Speakers