PRESS RELEASE Child Rights Advocates Call on Africa to Strengthen Child Protection Systems Addis Ababa, 6th November
2013 issued a Joint tatement ca!!ing on chi!d "rotection s#stems to secure vio!ence, abuse, e$"!oitation and emergenc# settings& Thirteen agencies working in Africa African governments to strengthen the right of chi!dren to a !ife free neg!ect in both emergenc# and have their from non%
The tatement stresses that fu!fi!!ment of this right to "rotection wi!! direct!# contribute to the achievement of nationa! socio%economic deve!o"ment and "overt# reduction agendas in Africa& The agencies, which inc!ude 'N()*+, as we!! as networks of N,-s, are to de!iver their recommendations during the 22nd ession of the African )ommittee of *$"erts on the .ights and /e!fare of the )hi!d, on 6 November 2013, in Addis Ababa, *thio"ia& 0/hen chi!dren are "rotected from vio!ence, e$"!oitation, and abuse, the# are more !ike!# to attend schoo! and to im"rove their academic "erformance,1 said Th2o"hane Nik#3ma, *$ecutive 4irector, The African )hi!d 5o!ic# +orum 6A)5+7, s"eaking on beha!f of the agencies& 0The# are a!so !ess !ike!# to e$"erience hea!th "rob!ems& This agenda is an im"ortant contributor to the deve!o"ment of human ca"ita! in Africa&1 -ver 800 mi!!ion chi!dren !ive in sub% aharan Africa, a!most ha!f of the tota! "o"u!ation& A!though data on chi!d "rotection issues is !imited, the risks of vio!ence, abuse and e$"!oitation are significant& A growing number of countr# studies show ver# high "reva!ence rates of "h#sica! and se$ua! vio!ence, and associations between vio!ence and a range of "h#sica!, re"roductive and menta! hea!th "rob!ems& A!most 80 "ercent of gir!s are married b# age 19, and a""ro$imate!# 60 "ercent of chi!dren are not registered at birth& +ema!e genita! muti!ation:cutting is "racticed in some 2; countries in Africa, with "reva!ence rates of 90 "ercent or more in some of those countries& (n addition, man# chi!dren a!so face <ustice s#stems that are "oor!# e=ui""ed to su""ort chi!dren, whether the# are in conf!ict with the !aw, victims, witnesses, or in need of care and "rotection& *vidence a!so indicates chi!dren with disabi!ities face vio!ence, abuse and stigma whi!e ethnic, !inguistic, re!igious and other divides can a!so increase the risks to chi!dren& (n the tatement>s )a!! to Action, the agencies argue that effective chi!d "rotection de"ends on a""ro"riate "o!icies, !egis!ation and regu!ations, as we!! as structures and im"!ementation that de"end on socia! acce"tance and funding& Actions are needed to strengthen effective "romotion, "revention and res"onse to vio!ence, abuse and e$"!oitation, and high =ua!it# evidence and data are needed to im"rove decision%making on chi!d "rotection& 0/e are a!! seeking "ositive outcomes for chi!dren,1 added Th2o"hane Nik#3ma, *$ecutive 4irector, The African )hi!d 5o!ic# +orum 6A)5+7& 0*$"erience shows that im"roved socia! services and !aws that s"eak to rea! threats bring benefits to communities as a who!e& No one wants to !ive in "!aces where chi!dren are degraded and harmed, and coordinated and resourced efforts can make a rea! difference in the future of African nations&1 There has been increasing momentum in sub% aharan Africa on the chi!d "rotection s#stems agenda& Near!# ha!f the countries have com"!eted or !aunched e$ercises to ma" and assess their chi!d "rotection s#stems, a!!owing them to describe those s#stems and s"ecif# "riorit# areas of engagement and investment& ome countries, inc!uding ,hana, ?en#a, .wanda, ierra @eone and TanAania, have begun the "rocess of redefining their chi!d "rotection s#stems through deve!o"ment of new "o!ic# frameworks, ta""ing into e$isting
"ractices and resources and forging !inks between the informa! and forma! "arts of the s#stem, thereb# making the s#stem in its entiret# more sustainab!e, effective, and Bfit> for the countr# conte$t& ub%nationa! coordination mechanisms bui!t around chi!d "rotection committees or the e=uiva!ent, are ro!!ing out in countries such as Cenin, Curkina +aso, Niger, enega!, the 4emocratic .e"ub!ic of )ongo, ?en#a, TanAania and 'ganda& Duman resource ga" ana!#ses have been conducted in some countries to inform the strengthening of the socia! service workforce serving the most vu!nerab!e communities& The tatement>s )a!! to Action endorses strengthening "rotection s#stems that are integrated, chi!d%centered, and guided b# the best interests of the chi!d& (n the "ast, interventions often focused on a sing!e issue or risk to chi!dren, but e$"erience shows that an individua! chi!d can be confronted b# mu!ti"!e needs, vio!ations and severit#& According!#, the agencies ca!! for ho!istic a""roaches that acknow!edge the com"!e$it# of chi!dren>s "rob!ems and the need for a mu!ti%disci"!inar# res"onse& )hi!d "rotection s#stems shou!d be sensitive to conte$t and environmentE take fu!! account of the chi!d>s ro!e in the s#stemE and create better coordination, engagement, and ca"acit# of a wide range of actors, from chi!dren, #outh and fami!ies, to traditiona! and faith !eaders, to government, civi! societ# and the "rivate sector& After the )ommittee meeting, the agencies "!an to continue to "romote the tatement>s )a!! to Action before individua! governments, .egiona! *conomic )ommunities, 'N agencies, the /or!d Cank, the African 4eve!o"ment Cank, and re"resentatives from civi! societ# organisations, academia, and the "rivate sector& Note to editor: F trengthening )hi!d 5rotection #stems in ub% aharan AfricaE A )a!! to ActionF is a <oint document "roduced b# African )hi!d 5o!ic# +orumE African Network for the 5revention and 5rotection against )hi!d Abuse and Neg!ectE *nvironnement et 42ve!o""ement du Tiers%mondeE (nternationa! ocia! erviceE Gouvement Africain des *nfants et Jeunes Travai!!eursE 5!an (nternationa!E .egiona! (nter%agenc# Task Team on )hi!dren and A(4 E .egiona! 5s#chosocia! u""ort (nitiativeE ave the )hi!drenE - )hi!dren>s Hi!!ages (nternationa!E Terre des hommesE 'N()*+E and /or!d Hision&& The s#stems a""roach, agencies are ca!!ing for, is guided in Africa b# the African )harter on the .ights and /e!fare of the )hi!d 6A)./)7, the African Iouth )harter 6AI)7, and the 5rotoco! to the African )harter on Duman and 5eo"!es> .ights on the .ights of /omen in Africa 6African /omen>s 5rotoco!7& The a""roach is in fu!! a!ignment with the )onvention on the .ights of the )hi!d 6'N).)7 and other internationa! conventions, instruments and standards& The A)./) s"ecifica!!# addresses chi!dren>s right to "rotection re!ated to chi!d !abour, chi!d abuse and torture, <uveni!e <ustice, "arenta! care and "rotection, harmfu! socia! and cu!tura! "ractices, se"aration from "arents and ado"tion, se$ua! e$"!oitation, and the sa!e, trafficking and abduction of chi!dren& For further information, please contact: 5atricia Gartinache % martinacheJafricanchi!dforum&org hantha C!oemen sb!oemenJunicef&org ?umar 4avinder 4avinder&?umarJ"!an%internationa!&org *!#sia Nisan % e!#siaKnisanJwvi&org i!via -nate % i!via&-nateJsavethechi!dren&org
@eh!ohono!o )habe!i % !eh!ohono!o&chabe!iJre"ssi&org