Child and Armed Conflicts in Africa

Abstract

A central aim of the seminar was to ensure the rights of war-affected children by identifying and discussing concrete avenues of enforcing, reporting on, and monitoring children's rights in conflict and post-conflict situations on the continent. The seminar provided a forum for 20 participants, including human and child rights experts; representatives from the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) system; academics; and civil society groups to shed light on, and offer responses to, the specific needs of children affected by armed conflict (CAAC) in Africa. The meeting investigated the contribution of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) of 1990 to a rights-based approach for the protection of war-affected children. The seminar generated policy debates and recommendations exploring the avenues of collaboration between the UN mechanisms for the protection of children and the AU Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC...