On 15 April 2026 at the 28th meeting of the Civil Society Organisations Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (CSO Forum) the Centre for Human Rights (the Centre) held a panel discussion on the establishment of a Litigants Group for ACERWC. Representatives from the Centre, Prof Frans Viljoen, Prof Nkatha Murungi, Rotondwa Mashige and Ntokozo Sibanyoni, were joined by Mr Michael Gyan Nyarko from the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa to discuss various issues on litigation and implementation of children’s rights decisions.
The panel included discussions on Agenda 2040 and the AU Model Law on Implementation of Decisions of African Human Rights Bodies, the contributions of CSO’s in the litigation and implementation of children’s rights issues before the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), the gaps that exist in litigation before ACERWC and ensuring the implementation of decisions of the ACERWC, and success stories on supporting litigation and implementation of decisions of the ACERWC.
Lastly, the panel discussed the establishment of a Litigants Group for the ACERWC as a peer support platform aimed at supporting organisations to litigate before the ACERWC, strengthen implementation of decisions, fostering and enhancing collaborations and shared learning. The establishment of a Litigants Group is as a result of recommendations from diverse stakeholders working on children’s rights on the continent.
A follow-up side event, in-person only, will be held at the margins of the 47th Ordinary Session of the ACERWC, on 18 April 2026 at Mpilo Boutique Hotel, Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho. Join us at 17h30 to hear more about this initiative!
For more information, please contact:
Childrens Rights Unit
Tel +27 (0)12 420 6209
rotondwa.mashige@up.ac.za
Tel +27 (0) 12 420 3587
ntokozo.sibanyoni@up.ac.za
