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The 2nd Civil Society Organisations’ Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the Charter) took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 11-12 November 2009, the week before the 14th session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC/the Committee). It brought together 124 participants from approximately 23 African countries, including members of civil society organisations and of the Committee of experts, the body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Charter on the continent. This Forum is one of the largest assemblies of child focused organisations, policy makers and African Union (AU) representatives on the continent. It is an opportunity to discuss the situation of children in Africa,and to learn about both the content of the African Charter as well as how civil society can use it in their work to further children’s rights. The Forum also enables civil society organisations to get a closer relation to each other and better collaboration with the Committee of Experts. This Forum confirms once again that working together rather than individually is crucial to deliver sustainable results for the children of Africa. Bringing activists together creates a powerful voice to protect the rights and welfare of children in Africa. All actors have a role to play in ensuring that children’s rights are realised, whether it is an AU State, the ACERWC, the AU Commission, a member of a CSO, the children themselves or even a foreign State working closely with the AU. Civil society in particular has a critical role to play in supporting and complementing the work of the ACERWC. As a result, the Forum developed a set of recommendations for the consideration of the ACERWC at its 14th session, which followed on 16-19 November in Addis Ababa. These recommendations aim to improve the implementation of the Charter and the use of its mechanisms. After the success of the two initial CSO Forums, the African civil society is committed to continue the organisation of forums before each session of the African Committee of Experts. The intention is to meet again in March 2010. ********* The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the Charter) celebrated 10 years on the 29th of November 2009. To mark the 10th Anniversary of the entry into force of the African Children’s Charter, a celebration took place in Addis Ababa on November 13, the day after the closure of the CSO Forum. It brought together about 150 persons including children, CSOs, AU representatives, African States’ representatives as well as some representatives from Foreign States such as Sweden. The event aimed at examining the progress made since the Charter came into force as well as looking at those challenges that lay ahead. For this purpose, a panel of distinguished guests, including the Chairperson of the ACERWC- Mrs Seynabou Diakhaté-, the Nigerian Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo- Zerihun Mammo, a young Ethiopian who is Assistant Dean of Students of the Haramaya University and has long experience of working with child rights and Professor and Dean of Law Julia Sloth-Nielsen, answered questions from the audience and explained issues relating to the African Charter, its relation to the UN CRC, and the role of the ACERWC. Professor Sloth-Nielsen said: “Making process is about public debate and awareness. The promotion of the Charter is as important as the drafting of the law.” The discussion further covered issues like the importance of research to document knowledge that can help child rights to move forward, the role of the ACERWC, of governments, the key role of political will for ensuring sustainable development, the Day of the African Child on the theme of budgeting for children’s rights, taking place on 16 June 2010. The Forum and the 10th Anniversary were organised by The African Child Policy Forum, The AfricaWide Movement for Children, Plan International and Save the Children in collaboration with the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa and World Vision. ********* The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) held its 46th session in Banjul, the Gambia, from 11 - 26 November 2009. Read the agenda here. An NGO forum was held in advance of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights 46th session from 7 - 9 November. During the forum, a discussion was held on child rights, and the rights of the girl child in particular, which are set out in the African Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol. Gaye Sowe from the Institute for Development and Human Rights in Africa (IHRDA) read a statement prepared jointly by Plan and IHRDA, focusing on the rights of the girl child. This statement was delivered in response to the report of the Special Rapporteur for Women and Girls' Commissioner Soyata Maiga. The 46th session was also marked by the participation of members of the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), in particular Cyprien YANCLO. Commissioner Maitre Reine ALAPINI GANSOU of Benin was elected as the new Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ rights.