African children are amongst the most vulnerable group worldwide. Inexplicably, most of African children at their early age encounter various challenges, and compelled to lead depressed life which could produce harmful consequences on their health, safety, and physical and psychological wellbeing.
Contrary to the rights and freedoms every child is entitled to enjoy (regardless of race, ethnicity, color, gender, age, religious cultural or any other dimensions), many African children are compelled to lead the worst life and suffer disproportionately.
To this end various organizations including AU, have been working diligently to promote and respect the rights of children, address the challenges that prevent children from achieving their rights thereby ensure that children’s rights are realized at the desired level wherever they are residing.
As part of this effort, the former The Organization of African Unity (OAU) which later changed its name to African Union (AU) adopted ‘The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child’ (ACRWC) in 1990; and the law entered into effect in 1999 for the protection and promotion of children’s rights in the continent.
As the document stresses, the Charter, ‘The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child’, is a regional human rights treaty sets out rights and defines principles for the status of children and hold governments accountable for ending child marriage.
As part of the commemoration of the Day of the African Child, (DAC 2022), the continental launch of the Child Friendly Version of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the African Children’s Charter) was held in Maseru, Lesotho, on the 16th of June 2022.
The Child Friendly Version of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in Maseru, Lesotho, was officially launched by the Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), Joseph Ndayisenga, in the presence of Children from different parts of the continent.
At a ceremony held in Maseru, seat of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho urged African governments to do more to ensure that “children become the bedrock of Africa’s development”.
“Let Africa’s development be people driven, women and youth driven, a development that centers its children, one that ends harmful practices against children such as child marriages, Female Genital Mutilation as well as child labor, and we must address these vital ills,” she underlined.
This year’s the day of the African Child (DAC) 2022 was celebrated under the theme: “Eliminating harmful practices affecting children: Progress on policy and practice since 2013”.
The development of the Child Friendly Version of the African Children’s Charter has been a joint initiative between Plan International and Save the Children International to mark the 30th anniversary of the Children’s Charter. The Charter is one of the most important legal instruments that was put into action in 1990 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the Organization of African Unity (OAU), precursor to the African Union (AU).
The Child Friendly Version of the Charter presents all the articles of the Charter in a simple and accessible language, designed to be easy to understand the rights of children and how they can hold duty bearers to account, it was learnt.
The African Children’s Charter outlines the rights and responsibilities of children in Africa. The Child Friendly Version makes sure that children learn and understand these rights. The document is done in English, French and Portuguese, created with children and for children to help them learn about their rights and responsibilities as an African child, it was learnt.
As it was stated, the Charter will enable children to learn about their rights and responsibilities, realize their dignity and place as children, and become active participants in Africa’s development agenda. Further. it empowers children to make the prevention of and response to the violation of children’s rights effectively managed.
Plan International and Save the Children International are further devoted to creating the Child-Friendly Version of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in Braille and extra language translations for universal access and understanding.
BY ZECHARIAS GETAHUN
The Ethiopian Herald 28 June 2022
