AFRICAN COMMITTEE: Elections 2010 – Information for NGOs

The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) is a Committee of 11 members mandated to monitor and report on the rights of children in Africa.  The Committee is potentially a powerful watchdog and advocate for children's rights. 

The terms of six members will come to an end in July 2010. Civil society has a crucial role to play in recommending qualified and effective candidates to their respective governments to fill these vacancies. Very few candidates were nominated for these important posts in previous elections.

A fact sheet has been compiled by the CSO (Civil Society Organisation) Forum for the ACERWC to inform civil society organisations about the nomination process, flesh out specific criteria for potential members, and inspire civil society participation.

Although CSOs cannot nominate candidates, they can influence the selection process by:

• Identifying qualified candidates and lobbying them to serve on the Committee.

• Seeking support for the proposed candidates from government officials working on children's issues or within the Ministry responsible for monitoring the implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
• Sending a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with clear, convincing arguments as to why this person would be a good candidate.
• Lobbying the government to ensure the nomination process is truly transparent and that State Parties select candidates on merit rather than for political considerations.
• Lobbying the government to nominate competent and credible candidates.

States are asked to submit names and CVs of their nominated candidates to the African Union Legal Affairs Department by the end of Februrary 2010.

The process of selecting candidates will vary from State to State. Members are elected by the Executive Council (comprised of the foreign ministers of AU Member States) by secret ballot in a meeting held prior to the AU Summit. Their decision is then passed to the AU Assembly for final approval and adoption. 

Note that individuals from Nigeria, Madagascar, Benin, Burkina Faso and Egypt cannot be nominated for this round of elections as these countries already have members on the Committee.

The process to appoint African Committee experts is one of a string of opportunities identified by CRIN to stimulate open and transparent appointment processes to identify leaders with the appropriate commitment, skills and experience to work effectively for child rights.
Find out more about the campaign here

Further information

• Read the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child 
• Read more about the Committee, and the appointment procedure
• Find information about current members 
• The first major of the meeting of the Civil Society Organisation Forum for the ACERWC took place in April 2009, and was attended by more than 60 organisations, ranging from community groups to academic institutions. Read about the first meeting here. Information about the second meeting can be found here.