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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), the ACERWC CSO FORUM and the Eastern Africa Child Rights Network, cordially invite you to a webinar on Tuesday 15 June 2021, on the occasion of the Day of the African Child (DAC) which is commemorated on 16 June every year. The webinar will focus on the theme of Accelerating the implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children.

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Accelerating the implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children

Tuesday 15 June 2021
11:00 GMT / 12:00 WAT / 13:00 SAST / 14: 00 EAT
All participants are required to register on Zoom.
Zoom Meeting ID: 951 9355 2802 (registration required)
The event will be live streamed on Facebook and YouTube.

Register on Zoom

Agenda

Moderator:
Dr Elvis Fokala, Manager, Children’s Rights Unit, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

Panellists: 

  • Introductory remarks
    Dr Nkatha Murungi, Assistant Director, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
  • Overview of Agenda 2040
    Hon. Aver Gavar, Member of the ACERWC - Special Rapporteur on Violence against children
  • Aspiration 3 – Every child’s birth and other vital statistics are registered
    Dr Edward Addai, UNICEF - Representative to the AU/UNECA
  • Aspiration 6 – Every child benefits fully from quality education / Aspiration 7 – Every child is protected against violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse
    Ms Teresa Omondi-Adeitan, Deputy Executive Director and Head of Programmes – FAWE
  • Aspiration 9 – Every child is free from the impact of armed conflicts and other disasters or emergency situations
    Dr Musa Chibwana, Senior Child Protection Officer - Secretariat- ACERWC
  • Aspiration 10 – African children’s views matter
    Ms Felistus Motimedi (Regional Coordinator, CRNSA
  • Concluding remarks (Video screening)
    Hon. Hermine Gatsing Kembo, Member of the ACERWC - Special Rapporteur on Child Marriage and Other Harmful Practices

Background

In 2020, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the Children’s Charter) celebrated 30 years since its adoption. To date, 50 African States have ratified the ACRWC, and 40 of these have submitted at least one report to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the Committee) on the implementation of the Children’s Charter. The Committee adopted Agenda 2040 during the commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Charter in 2015, as a blueprint towards an Africa fit for children. The Agenda was later adopted by the Executive Council of the African Union (AU), thereby placing an obligation on states parties to the Children’s Charter, to fulfil the aspirations outlined in the Agenda. 

Agenda 2040 comprises of 10 aspirations which embody 10 priority areas in the protection of children’s rights in Africa by the year 2040. To enable monitoring of progress in this regard, the Agenda adopts a five-year implementation plan, with reviews at the end of every 5 years. Accordingly, the Committee commissioned an assessment of the implementation of the Agenda during its first 5 years in 2020. The report of the assessment noted that generally, the implementation of the aspirations of the Agenda during the period, had been uneven and lethargic.

These findings informed the Committee’s decision to call attention to the Agenda through the DAC 2021, in order to accelerate its implementation during the 2nd phase of its implementation, which is 2021–2025. 

It is against this backdrop that the Centre and its partners are hosting this webinar, with the goal of commemorating the Day of the African Child, by spotlighting Agenda 2040 and its implementation. 

Objectives

The purpose of the webinar is, amongst others, to:

  • Draw the attention of states parties and other stakeholders to the significance and goals of Agenda 2040
  • Share good practices and approaches to the implementation of the Agenda, and  
  • Explore tools and innovations such as technology, to accelerate the implementation of the agenda.

Agenda 2040

  • Aspiration 1: The African Children’s Charter, as supervised by the African Children’s Committee, provides an effective continental framework for advancing children’s rights
  • Aspiration 2: An effective child-friendly national legislative, policy and institutional framework is in place in all Member States
  • Aspiration 3: Every child’s birth and other vital statistics are registered
  • Aspiration 4: Every child survives and has a healthy childhood
  • Aspiration 5: Every child grows up well-nourished and with access to the basic necessities of life
  • Aspiration 6: Every child benefits fully from quality education
  • Aspiration 7: Every child is protected against violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse
  • Aspiration 8: Children benefit from a child-sensitive criminal system
  • Aspiration 9: Every child is free from the impact of armed conflicts and other disasters or emergency situations
  • Aspiration 10: African children’s views matter

Contacts

For more information, please contact:

Dr Elvis Fokala
Manager, Children’s Rights Unit,
Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria
elvis.fokala@up.ac.za
www.chr.up.ac.za 

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