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Somalia

Advocacy mission on the ratification of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child by ACERWC in the Federal Republic of Somalia

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Mogadishu, 29, July 2018. - A high level delegation of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) will be visiting Mogadishu, Somalia to discuss with key stakeholders the ratification of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC).
The delegation scheduled for July 30-31, 2018 will meet with key officials of the Federal Government of Somalia. and intends to solicit for the ratification of the ACRWC and the deposition of the ratification instrument at the Office of the Legal Counsel of the AUC in the foreseeable future. The mission is organised and co-hosted by Save the Children Somalia Country office and Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development. Save the Children closely works with the government to strengthen policies and legal frameworks that promote and protect the rights of children in the country in line with the commitments made in the ACRWC and the UNCRC.

The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) is a regional child rights instruments which is peculiar to Africa that encompasses provisions on the rights and welfare of the child giving due regard to African values and context. It was adopted in 1990 by the Organisation of the African Unity (OAU) and entered into force in 1999. As the monitoring body established to promote and protect the rights enshrined in the Charter, the Committee will engage with the authorities of the Federal Government of Somalia to understand the key challenges the children of Somalia face as well as identify areas in which the Committee and other key partners can support. In particular the delegation will discuss ways in which the Federal Government can accelerate the ratification process of the charter. To date, the ACRWC has been ratified by 48 African Union Member States and Somalia is among the 7 who are yet to ratify with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Sao Tomé & Principe, South Sudan, and Tunisia.

High level meetings with government officials from the Ministry of Human Rights and Development, consultation with AMISOM, UN Agencies and local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on children rights issues will be held during the mission. A workshop on the ratification and reporting on the Charter aiming to discuss the practical steps of the ratification procedures of AU treaties will also be conducted with relevant ministries and CSOs. The objective of these meetings is to create a network with various CSOs and other stakeholders who can follow-up on the ratification of the ACRWC and support the Government on the process of the ratification of the ACRWC. The ACERWC Delegation will be led its Vice-president Hon. Marie Christine Bocoum and staff from the Secretariat and the AUC Office of the Legal Counsel.

Notes to the editor:

The ACRWC establishes the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) as a monitoring organ which promotes and protects the rights of the child enshrined in the ACRWC. The ACERWC is accordingly tasked with various mandates such as receiving and considering State Party Reports and complaints submitted against a State Party on alleged violations of the provisions of the ACRWC. The ACERWC also has the mandate to undertake investigations in Member States, to formulate and lay down principles, to develop General Comments to expound the provisions of the ACRWC.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Ayalew Getachew Assefa Child Rights Legal Researcher, ACERWC Secretariat Email: Ayalewg@africa-union.org

Mr. Kameni Ngankam Y.G. Communication Officer, ACERWC Secretariat Email: KameniY@africa-union.org

Jamillah Mwanjisi Head of Communication and Media- Save the Children Somalia Email: Jamillah.mwanjisi@savethechildren.org