AFRICA: Advancing Children's Rights - A Guide for Civil Society Organisations on how to engage with the African child rights committee (2nd edition)

Summary: A guide to using the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

The second edition of the publication "Advancing Children's Rights - A Guide for Civil Society Organisations on how to engage with the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child" has been published by Save the Children Sweden and Plan International.

Africa is the only continent with a region-specific child rights instrument. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), adopted in 1990 by the Organisation of African Unity, is an important tool for African child rights activists as it complements the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Though much progress has been made to promote the ACRWC, still more needs to be done to make this important human rights treaty accessible for civil society and state institutions in Africa. The procedures of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the African Union body in charge of interpreting and monitoring the ACRWC, are still not well known.

This Guide aims to be a resource for civil society organisations who are interested in finding out more about the ACRWC and the Committee. It contains practical advice and information on how civil society can engage with the Committee to advance children's rights in Africa. The second edition reflects important developments relating to the Committee's work, civil society organisations' engagement with the Committee and the functioning of the CSO Forum on the ACRWC.

Advancing Children's Rights has been developed in collaboration with African civil society organisations, academics and members of the Committee.

The publication of the French version of the Guide is scheduled for May 2011. An Arabic version is also foreseen.

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