BACKGROUND
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC/the Charter), adopted in 1990 and in force since 1999, is Africa’s comprehensive framework for protecting and promoting children’s rights. It addresses both universal and context-specific issues including child marriage, recruitment of children by armed forces or armed groups, harmful practices, displacement, and socio-economic vulnerability making it uniquely responsive to the lived realities of African children. It also promotes access to education for pregnant girls, non-custodial sentencing for mothers and primary caregivers of young children, and safeguards for children affected by conflict or natural disasters.
To ensure implementation, the Charter established the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC/the Committee), mandated to monitor compliance, consider State reports and communications, and interpret the Charter. Over the past 35 years, significant progress has been made. To date, 51 out of 55 of the African Union Member States have ratified the Charter. Notable progress has been observed in the form of legal and policy reforms, and improvements in areas such as birth registration, education, and health. Despite these gains, implementation gaps persist. Many children continue to be subjected to harmful social and cultural practices, lack access to basic services, and experience discrimination and violence. Emerging challenges like digital exploitation, climate shocks, forced displacement, unethical business practices, and shrinking space for participation pose new threats.
In commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the Charter, the ACERWC calls for reflection, renewed commitment, and bold, forward-looking action to ensure every child in Africa enjoys their full rights and potential. To this end, the ACERWC is launching a call for contributions to assess progress, examine persistent and emerging challenges, and offer strategic guidance to advance child rights in Africa over the next decades.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLICATION
The objectives of the publication are to:
Reflect on the status of children’s rights over the past 35 years in Africa.
Document success stories, innovative approaches, and lessons learned that have advanced the rights of the child in Africa.
Provide forward-looking strategies and priorities to strengthen efforts to implement and uphold the Charter, in alignment with Agenda 2040 and emerging global and regional priorities; and
Generate a continental reference resource that captures diverse perspectives, strengthens knowledge exchange, and supports strategic advocacy and collaboration in child protection efforts.
All accepted contributions will be compiled into a commemorative publication titled ‘The African Children’s Charter @35: Progress, Challenges, and the way forward’ which aims to guide future priorities for child rights protection and implementation across the continent.
SUBMISSION DETAILS
All submissions should adopt a respectful and constructive tone. While critical reflections are encouraged, contributions must not include accusatory, offensive, or disparaging language. The submissions will be assessed based on their relevance to the objectives of the publication, alignment with the values and mandate of the ACERWC, and overall contribution to advancing the child rights discourse.
The deadline for the submission of the abstract is 11 July 2025 and the deadline for the full article is 29 September 2025. The contributions may be submitted in any of the official languages of the African Union and should be sent via email to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected] and [email protected].
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