Advocacy Factsheet: The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and Children on the move
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) has published an Advocacy Factsheet highlighting the critical protections provided by the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) for Children on the Move. This includes refugee, asylum-seeking, internally displaced, migrant, unaccompanied, and separated children—among the most vulnerable groups on the continent.
The factsheet unpacks key articles of the Charter—such as Articles 6, 23, 24, and 29—offering clear legal guidance on issues including statelessness, displacement, trafficking, adoption, and protection from exploitation. It reaffirms that the best interests of the child must be the primary consideration in all decisions concerning them.
The publication also outlines the ACERWC’s efforts through its Special Rapporteur on Children on the Move, the Continental Study on Mapping Children on the Move within Africa, and jurisprudence developed through landmark communications. These contributions collectively emphasize the need for stronger legal protections, data-driven policy, and cross-border cooperation.
This factsheet serves as an essential resource for policymakers, civil society, and child rights advocates working to ensure the rights and dignity of every child on the move are fully respected and protected across Africa.