The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, in partnership with the Centre for Child Law (CCL), University of Pretoria and Dullah Omar Institute for Constitutional Law, Governance and Human Rights, University of the Western Cape will host a one-week intensive short course on Children's Rights in Africa between 22 - 26 July 2019.
Course date: 22 - 26 July 2019
Venue: Graduate Centre, University of Pretoria Main Campus
About the course
The short course is part of the capacity strengthening initiative of the Children’s Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights. Its aim is to equip professionals in the area of children’s rights with adequate knowledge and skills that will enable them to deliver better on their mandate and contribute to the advancement of children’s rights in Africa.
Children constitute more than half of the population of Africa as a continent. To ensure that these children live, survive and develop to their full potential, African countries have enacted national legislation and ratified many regional and international human rights instruments to protect and promote the rights and welfare of children. Despite these legal and policy commitments, the plights of children in Africa remain dire. Lack of effective implementation of legal and policy frameworks have been identified as one of the major reasons for the deplorable state of children in Africa. One main contributing factor to the ineffective implementation of legal and policy frameworks dealing with children’s rights and wellbeing is a lack of appropriate knowledge and awareness among relevant policymakers and implementers in Africa.
Topics may include
- United Nations framework of children’s rights
- African Union framework of children’s rights
- Child justice
- Children deprived of liberty
- Child migrancy
- Child participation
- Children without parental care
- Children with disability
- The right to education
- Early childhood development
- Corporal punishment
- Harmful cultural practices
- Impact of the United Nations and African Union treaties in realising children’s rights in Africa
Course objectives
The primary goal of the course is to equip participants with theoretical and practical knowledge in children’s rights and wellbeing, as well as skills for the monitoring and implementation of the rights and welfare of children.
Participants
The course is a platform for acquiring skills in the area of children’s rights as well as for networking, and it is open to government officials, members of civil society and non-governmental organisations, academics, representatives of the judiciary, law practitioners.
Presenters
The course will include experts in the field of children’s rights from across the African continent.
Fees
The course fee is ZAR 2500 (US $ 200). This fee covers tuition, course materials, teas and lunch for the duration of the course.
The fee excludes transport and accommodation costs.
Applications Deadline
Applications for this course are closed.
Scholarships
A maximum of 45 participants are admitted each year.
No scholarships are available for this year’s short course.
Overview of past Children’s Rights in Africa courses
Contact
For more information, please contact:

Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 4197
Fax: +27 (0) 86 580 5743
dennis.antwi@up.ac.za

Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 6398
Fax: +27 (0) 86 580 5743
alina.miamingi@up.ac.za