ACERWC Experts and Secretary at the Fourth CSO Forum

Since its inception in 2001, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child has collaborated with civil society organisations working with and for children in Africa. Many of these organisations are very active in the field and have acquired an in- depth knowledge of children’s rights, enabling them to make considerable contributions towards improving the lives of children.

As true partners of the Committee, civil society organisations can play an important part and bring an added value to the work of the Committee carrying out its mission of promoting and protecting the rights of the child.

Civil society organisations which work with children in Africa have unrivalled knowledge and experience of the situation of children at a national and regional level and this makes them indispensable partners to the Committee. Their engagement is crucial for the Committee’s success since they can provide relevant and analytical information and work in partnership to promote and protect children’s rights in Africa. Equally, the Committee can strengthen civil society’s efforts to hold their governments accountable for the implementation and monitoring of the Children’s Charter.

Civil society can also play a vital role in popularising the principles and provisions of the Children’s Charter and can help to lay the foundations for its implementation at a national and community level. This relationship is acknowledged in the Charter itself which states that one of the functions of the Committee is to ‘cooperate with other African, international and regional institutions and organisations concerned with the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of the child’ (Article 42 ACRWC).

The Committee needs the support of civil society to develop into an independent and effective mechanism for monitoring and advocating for children’s rights in Africa.

The Sixth CSO Forum was held in Addis Ababa from March 21 – 23, 2012.

The theme for this meeting was the theme of the 2012 Day of the African Child

- Report :  English ACERWC 6 CSO forum report

- Recommandations : English ACERWC 6 CSO forum recommendations , French ACERWC 6 CSO forum recommendations

- Key issues : English ACERWC key issues 6 CSO forum , French ACERWC key issues 6 CSO forum

The Fifth CSO Forum was held in Addis Ababa from November 22nd to 25th, 2011

The theme for this meeting was Strengthening collective efforts to make Africa a better place for children

- Reports :  English ACERWC 5 CSO forum report , French ACERWC 5 CSO forum report

- Recommandations : English ACERWC 5 CSO forum recommendations , French ACERWC 5 CSO forum recommendations

The Fourth CSO Forum was held in Addis Ababa from March 18 to 20th,  2011

- Reports : English ACERWC 4 CSO forum report