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Check on action taken in Wales on reserved areas

Published: 29 January 2025

Last updated: 27 August 2026

What countries does this apply to?

  • Wales

We have assessed how much action the UK and Welsh Governments have taken to meet United Nation (UN) recommendations in seven areas.

Some of the areas we assessed as part of our new methodology are reserved to the UK government. This means that the UK Parliament makes the decisions in these areas and they effect Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or regions of England. We have therefore not assessed the Welsh government on recommendations in reserved areas. Full assessments for action taken by the UK government in these areas are available on Check on UK government action.

This page provides additional context for action taken by the Welsh Government that is relevant to these areas, though these are not assessments.

Accommodation for migrants and asylum-seekers

Action taken by the Welsh Government

The Welsh Government’s Nation of Sanctuary Action approach provides support for suitable accommodation and access to services. The approach ensures homelessness prevention strategies take account of the vulnerability of new refugees to homelessness and explores ways to reduce refugee homelessness. In the January 2026 progress report of the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan, the Welsh Government confirmed continued support for the integration of migrants and people seeking sanctuary in Wales. The plan does not mention preventing the use of hotel accommodation for unaccompanied children.

Cooperation with international and regional equality and human rights mechanisms

ICCPR concluding observations 2024, paragraph 35

The State party should intensify its efforts to ensure that conditions of detention fully comply with relevant international human rights standards, including the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules). In particular, the State party should: (d) Increase its efforts to prevent self-inflicted deaths, including by suicide, and self-harm in custody and ensure that cases of self-inflicted death, including by suicide, and self-harm are independently and thoroughly investigated.

CAT concluding observations 2019, paragraph 25

The State party should: (a) Provide the Committee with detailed information on cases of deaths in custody and the causes of those deaths; (b) Take measures to ensure that all instances of death in custody are promptly and impartially investigated by an independent entity; (c) Compile detailed data on suicides among persons deprived of their liberty and assess the effectiveness of prevention and risk identification strategies and programmes.

Action taken by Welsh Government

The Welsh Government’s Programme for Government 2021-26 includes commitments to incorporate the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), although legislation has not yet progressed. 

Criminal justice institutions

CEDAW concluding observations 2019, paragraph 58

The Committee recommends that the State party: (b) Continue to develop alternative sentencing and custodial strategies, including community interventions and services, for women convicted of minor offences.

Action taken by Welsh Government

The Welsh Government and Ministry of Justice have jointly produced a Female Offending Blueprint for Wales. It sets out Welsh Government’s ambition to transform services to improve outcomes for female offenders, including via community-based solutions.  

ICCPR concluding observations 2024, paragraph 35

The State party should intensify its efforts to ensure that conditions of detention fully comply with relevant international human rights standards, including the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules). In particular, the State party should: (d) Increase its efforts to prevent self-inflicted deaths, including by suicide, and self-harm in custody and ensure that cases of self-inflicted death, including by suicide, and self-harm are independently and thoroughly investigated.

Action taken by Welsh Government

In October 2024, the Welsh Government published a summary of responses to a consultation on the draft suicide and self-harm prevention strategy. These will be used to inform the development of a final version of the strategy and a delivery plan. They are due to be published by the end of the year.

Ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system

Action taken by the Welsh Government

The Welsh Government Equality, Race and Disability Evidence Units aim to support more informed policies through the collection of data on protected characteristics, including ethnic disparities. This includes collecting qualitative data on the lived experience of people in Wales of topics covered in the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan. The unit’s priorities for 2022 to 2027 include identifying gaps in evidence in criminal justice data. It does not specifically include youth justice in its priorities. 

Hate crime and hate speech

CERD concluding observations 2016, paragraph 16

The Committee recommends that the State party, including the governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the British overseas territories and the Crown dependencies: (c) Adopt concrete measures, in consultation with groups affected, to increase the reporting of racist hate crimes, by ensuring that the reporting mechanism is transparent and accessible and that victims have trust in the police and the justice system.

CRC concluding observations 2023, paragraph 20

The Committee reiterates its previous recommendations5 and urges the State party: (d) To encourage the reporting of hate crimes against children, investigate and prosecute cases of racially, ethnically and religiously motivated crime, punish perpetrators with sanctions that are commensurate with the crime and provide adequate compensation to the victims, as appropriate.

Action taken by Welsh Government

Since the recommendations were made, the Welsh Government published its Anti-racist Wales Action Plan (ArWAP): 2024 update in November 2024. The update reiterates the government’s commitment to be an anti-racist country by eliminating hateful attitudes and supporting victims of racially motivated hate crime. The ArWAP includes actions on hate crime under the housing, support for refugees and asylum seekers and criminal justice sections, as well as a dedicated chapter on hate crime within the criminal justice sector. The ArWAP also includes a goal to tackle anti-Semitic hate crime in all its forms.

The Welsh Government’s nation of sanctuary action plan includes actions on reporting hate crime.

Action taken by Welsh Government

The regulator of communication services, Ofcom, is not devolved and is therefore outside of the competence of the Welsh Government. 

The Welsh Government funds the Hate Hurts Wales campaign, which includes media activities to empower victims and witnesses to report hate crime. It aims to reinforce the message that victims of hate crime are protected by law in the UK.  

Hwb, a Welsh Government resource for teachers, learners and families across Wales includes guidance on online hate. The guidance contains resources and information for children and young people and links to report harmful content.

The Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan (ArWAP) includes an action under the ‘Culture, Heritage and Sport’ chapter on the importance of celebrating diversity. This includes using Welsh Government’s Memorandums of Understanding with the BBC and S4C to ‘encourage and support’ a more anti-racist sector. There is no dedicated media strategy.  

In March 2025, the Welsh Government published voluntary diversity and inclusion guidance for political parties. This was before the Senedd elections in May 2026. It includes guidance on how parties can deal with complaints of discrimination or abuse and that staff should be trained to manage complaints fairly. 

Human trafficking and modern slavery

CAT concluding observations 2019, paragraph 59

The State party should: (a) Enhance its efforts to investigate claims of human trafficking and prosecute perpetrators and ensure that victims of trafficking obtain compensation, including by considering creating a civil remedy for victims of trafficking.

 Action taken by Welsh Government

The Welsh Government funds the Live Fear Free helpline which provides support for victims of modern slavery.

The Welsh Government has policies to reduce the risks of modern slavery in its own supply chains, which are detailed in its modern slavery statement.

The Wales Safeguarding Procedures include a practice guide for practitioners on safeguarding children who may be trafficked.

The Welsh Government coordinates the Anti-Slavery Wales Forum. The Forum is supported by four working groups on the themes of victims and survivors, prevention, training and awareness, and supply chains and international.

Immigration

CEDAW concluding observations 2019, paragraph 56(a)

Recalling its general recommendation No. 32 (2014) on the gender-related dimensions of refugee status, asylum, nationality and statelessness of women, the Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Introduce a general time limit on immigration detention and implement alternatives to detention.

CERD concluding observations 2016, paragraph 39

Recalling its general recommendation No. 30 (2004) on discrimination against non-citizens, the Committee recommends that the State party establish a statutory time limit on the duration of immigration detention and ensure that detention is used as a measure of last resort, and take further steps to end the immigration detention of children. The State party should also ensure that individuals who are held in immigration detention facilities have effective access to justice, including legal aid.

CAT concluding observations 2019, paragraph 55 (c)

The State party should: (c) Consider setting in law a reasonable time limit on the duration of administrative immigration detention.

ICCPR Concluding Observations 2024, Paragraph 43

Bearing in mind the Committee’s previous recommendations, the State party should establish a statutory time limit on the duration of immigration detention and ensure that detention is used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible period of time, and increase the use of alternatives to detention, particularly for children, pregnant women and families with children, that are respectful of human rights, including the right to privacy, instead of surveillance-based technological alternatives.

ICESCR concluding observations 2025, paragraph 35:

(c) Ensure migrant workers have the same rights as other workers, both in law and in practice. This includes on pay, job security, breaks and free time, social security and joining trade unions. Stop unfair treatment of migrant workers, especially those on the Health and Care Worker Visa, Overseas Domestic Worker Visa and the Seasonal Worker programme. This includes not allowing fees for recruitment, allowing workers to change employers freely, protecting their wages, protecting workers who speak up about abuse and giving them access to inspections, ways to report problems, translation services and legal help. 

Action taken by Welsh Government

The aims of the Welsh Government’s Nation of Sanctuary Action Plan (2019) were to provide support to refugees and asylum seekers within its devolved competencies. This included access to:

  • health care
  • advice
  • support to integrate into Welsh society
  • advocacy
  • education
  • support to avoid destitution

The plan includes a section on supporting the employability of refugees, with an action to promote financial inclusion to avoid destitution. The section promotes exceptional claims processes to enable people seeking sanctuary to access the Discretionary Assistance Fund before they are given National Insurance numbers. It also promotes awareness of credit unions, debt advice and money guidance.

In 2024, the Welsh Government updated the Anti-Racist Wales Action plan by consolidating actions on supporting sanctuary seekers into a nation of sanctuary chapter. The chapter includes a set of principles and a range of actions across government. 

CRC concluding observations 2023, paragraph 50

With reference to joint general comments No. 3 and No. 4 of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families/No. 22 and No. 23 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2017) on the human rights of children in the context of international migration, the Committee urges the State party: (g) To develop a consistent, statutory system of independent guardianship for all unaccompanied children and ensure that all unaccompanied children throughout all jurisdictions of the State party are promptly identified and provided with a professionally trained guardian.

Action taken by Welsh Government

In its response to the 2023 UN CRC concluding observations the Welsh Government committed to exploring how a guardianship scheme for unaccompanied children could work in Wales, including what resources would be needed to implement it.

Welfare

ICESCR concluding observations 2016, paragraph 19

The Committee reminds the State party of its obligations under the Covenant to use the maximum of its available resources with a view to progressively achieving the full realization of economic, social and cultural rights. The Committee draws the State party’s attention to the recommendations contained in its open letter of 16 May 2012 to States parties on economic, social and cultural rights in the context of the economic and financial crisis, with regard to the criteria for austerity measures. Such measures must be temporary, necessary, proportionate and not discriminatory, must not disproportionately affect the rights of disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups and respect the core content of rights. In that context, the Committee recommends that the State party review its policies and programmes introduced since 2010 and conduct a comprehensive assessment of the cumulative impact of these measures on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups, in particular women, children and persons with disabilities, that is recognized by all stakeholders.
 

CEDAW concluding observations 2019, paragraph 18

The Committee recommends that the State party undertake a comprehensive assessment on the impact of austerity measures on the rights of women and adopt measures to mitigate and remedy the negative consequences without delay.
 

CRPD concluding observations 2017, paragraph 59

The Committee recommends that the State party, in close collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities across all territorial entities, in line with the Committee’s report on its inquiry concerning the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland carried out under article 6 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention, guided by article 28 of the Convention and implementing target 10.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals: (b) Carry out a cumulative impact assessment, based on disaggregated data, of the recent and forthcoming reforms of the social protection system for persons with disabilities, and in close collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities define, implement and monitor measures to tackle retrogression in their standard of living and use the cumulative impact assessment as a basis for policy development across the State party.

Action taken by Welsh Government

The Welsh Government have undertaken an analysis of the impact of austerity in Wales. The Welsh Government is working to identify the cumulative impact of their budgets as part of the Strategic Integrated Impact Assessments. 

Workplace discrimination

Action taken by the Welsh Government

The Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan 2022 (ArWAP) includes a goal to adopt anti-racist workplace practices. In its January 2026 progress update, the government confirmed that the Fair Work guidance was published in December 2022 and updated in November 2024. The guidance focuses on anti-racist and inclusive employment practices.

The LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales, published in February 2023, includes a chapter on inclusive workplaces. Actions include providing equalities training to all public sector organisations and encouraging private sector employers to be LGBTQ+ inclusive. In its progress update 2024 to 2025, it notes that the Fair Work guide has been updated and includes the principles of ‘safe, healthy and inclusive working environments’. 

The Violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence national strategy was published in 2022. An associated blueprint high level action plan was published in March 2023. The plan includes workplace harassment as one of its priorities. Actions include developing a common approach to eliminate workplace harassment, including sexual harassment, and creating zero tolerance working environments. The 2025 progress report includes a commitment to explore how the public sector tackles workplace sexual harassment, noting there is a need for clarity around lines of accountability in addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. It commits to a mapping exercise to consider intersecting public sector duties and responsibilities related to preventing and responding to workplace harassment.

Youth Justice

CRC concluding observations 2023, paragraph 54

(f) For the few situations where deprivation of liberty is used as a measure of last resort, continue to strive for full compliance with the international requirement to detain children separately from adults and ensure that detention conditions are compliant with international standards, including with regard to access to education and health services, including mental health services.

Action taken by the Welsh Government

The Welsh Government and Ministry of Justice have jointly produced a Youth Justice Blueprint for Wales. It sets out the Welsh Government’s ambitions for a rights-based and trauma-informed system, recognising the commitment in Wales to ensuring the upholding of children’s rights in Wales.

Footnotes

    Page updates

    Published:

    29 January 2025

    Last updated:

    27 August 2026