The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (The African Children’s Charter/the Charter/ACRWC) was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity in July 1990, and entered into force in November 1999. The Charter encompasses various provisions which aim at the protection and promotion of children’s rights. The adoption of the Charter introduces various added values that are peculiar to Africa, in addition to the protection provided under its global counterpart instrument, the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC/ Committee) held its 38th Ordinary Session virtually from the 15th to the 26th of November 2021. Among the activities during the Session was the election of the new Bureau of the Committee; consideration of the Periodic Report of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and the Complementary Reports of the Republic of Congo and Uganda. The Committee also considered various documents including the Guidelines on child participation; the continental study on the impact of Covid-19 on the rights and welfare of children; the continental study on children without parental care and collaboration with RECs. The Committee also evaluated the commemoration of the Day of the African Child in 2022 and also selected the theme for DAC-2023. In addition to the current report, the ACERWC
issued outcome statements which summarises the findings and highlights recommendations of the Committee on the status of children’s rights in the respective regions.

The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC/ Committee) held its 37th Ordinary Session virtually from the 15th to the 26th of March 2021. Among the noteworthy activities during the Session was the swearing in of newly elected Members of the Committee; consideration of the Periodic Report of the Republic of Guinea and the Initial Reports of Guinea Bissau and the Republic of Seychelles. The Committee also considered various documents including the draft Model Law on CAAC, inception report of the continental study on the impact of COVID-19 on children, the draft General Comment on Article 27, and the draft Child Participation Guidelines. With regard to Communications, hearings were held on implementation of the ACERWC’s Decision in the matter of the Institute for Human Right and Development in Africa and Finders Group Initiative on behalf of TFA (aminor) and the Government of Republic of Cameroon. A day of General Discussion was also held on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights of Adolescents, following which an outcome statement was issued by the ACERWC summarizing the findings and highlighting the recommendations of the Committee on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights of adolescents in Africa

The 36th Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child was held virtually from 23 November to 04 December 2020. The Session was held in the context of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The first week of the Session, from 23-27 November 2020, was dedicated for a series of regional workshops where Member States, RECs, NHRIs and CSOs in the five regions of the African Union came together and deliberated on the status of children rights in Africa 30 years after the ratification of the Charter and five years after the adoption of Agenda 2040. In addition to the current report, the ACERWC issued outcome statements which summarises the findings and highlights recommendations of the Committee on the status of children’s rights in the respective regions.