Maseru, 04 May, 2017. –The 29th Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) was officially opened on 02 May 2017, in Maseru, The Kingdom of Lesotho.
The Opening Ceremony was attended by Senior Representatives from the Governments of Chad, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Lesotho, Senegal, and Kenya; Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Representatives from the United Nation Offices; National and International Organisations CSOs; and the Media.
Her Majesty Queen Masenate Mohato, the Queen of The Kingdom of Lesotho was present as the key note speaker, in her address to the delegates, she stressed the need to pursue all avenues to protect the interest of children and improve their future. Her Majesty pointed out that, the 29th Ordinary Session presented an opportunity to make intervention and critically analyse the challenges in the child protection systems of Africa and to share best practices that can be replicated. And further recognised the great significance of this session taking place in Lesotho, as the Kingdom seeks to host the Secretariat of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC). She concluded her remarks with a call to all African countries to accelerate the implementation of strategies aimed at achieving child related development goals and those that will continue to achieve the objectives of the African charter on the rights and welfare of the child.
The main issues for deliberation at the 29th Ordinary Session was the consideration State Party reports on the implementation of the African Children’s Charter from the Governments of Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, and Tanzania. It’s important to note that the Committee is mandated to monitor the implementation of the African Children's Charter in State Party. As such, each country is expected to submit an initial report within two years after the ratification of the Charter, then periodic reports every three years.
Other issues up for discussion included, the continental study concept note on children on the move, Reports on the implementation of the decision on behalf of the children of Nubian descent in Kenya and the decision on behalf of the Talibe children in Senegal, the member would also be updated on the amicable settlement reached between the Government of Malawi and IHRDA. The Committee will issue admissibility rulings on three recent cases on alleged child rights violations in State Parties and lastly the adoption of the theme of the Day of the African Child (DAC) 2018.
The ACERWC has also planned to adopt the first ever joint General Comment with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) on child marriage and will also consider applications for Observer Status from various organisations.
Notes to the editor:
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) draws its mandate from articles 32-46 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the then OAU on 11th July 1990, and which entered into force on November 29, 1999. (http://www.acerwc.org/ratification-data/).
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