13 October 2026 the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, delivered a statement at the 48th Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), held in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho. As the Centre marked 40 years of advancing human rights, the statement highlighted the persistent gap between Africa’s commitments to children’s rights and the realities experienced by children across the continent.
The Centre reaffirmed its commitment to advancing children’s rights through research, advocacy, capacity-building and engagement with regional human rights mechanisms, emphasising the importance of meaningful child participation in decision-making processes. A key development highlighted in the statement was the establishment of the ACERWC Litigants’ Group, fulfilling a commitment made during the previous session. The Group was established as a collaborative platform for litigants, legal practitioners and child rights organisations to strengthen strategic litigation, improve access to justice and promote the effective implementation of decisions concerning children’s rights across Africa.
The statement identified two priority areas requiring strengthened continental action. First, the Centre called for greater attention to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), including menstrual health and hygiene. It urged the Committee to develop clear guidance for States Parties on fulfilling children’s rights to safe, accessible and inclusive WASH facilities. The Centre emphasised the need for disability-inclusive school infrastructure, accessible menstrual products, safe menstrual waste management and targeted interventions for children living in rural, underserved and climate-vulnerable communities. It further called for stronger monitoring of States Parties’ implementation through the Committee’s reporting and concluding observations processes.
Second, the Centre welcomed the Committee’s decision to convene a Day of General Discussion on violence against children and harmful practices. It urged the Committee to ensure that the discussions addressed emerging forms of violence in digital spaces and promoted the effective use of the African Union Model Law on Child Online Safety. The statement emphasised the importance of strengthening national legal and policy frameworks to prevent and respond to online violence and better protect children in an increasingly digital world.
The Centre also highlighted the importance of strengthening the implementation and enforcement of decisions issued by African human rights treaty bodies. In this regard, it drew the Committee’s attention to its forthcoming Working Conference on Synergies in the Monitoring and Enforcement Mechanisms of African Union Human Rights Treaty Bodies, scheduled for 14–15 December 2026 which aims to explore strategies to improve coordination, accountability and implementation, ensuring that regional human rights decisions translate into meaningful and lasting improvements in the protection of human rights across Africa.
In addition, the Centre highlighted the ongoing public consultation on the Model Law on Implementation of Decisions of African Human Rights Treaty Bodies, developed under the leadership of the Pan-African Parliament and underscored the importance of the Committee’s participation in this process to ensure that children’s rights are adequately reflected in the framework and that the implementation of regional child rights decisions receives appropriate attention.
The Centre concluded by reaffirming its commitment to supporting the ACERWC in fulfilling its mandate and called for sustained collaboration among regional institutions, States Parties and civil society to advance the realisation of children’s rights across Africa. Through its statement, the Centre reinforced the need to move beyond commitments towards practical action, stronger accountability and effective implementation to ensure that every child in Africa can enjoy their rights in practice.
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