DECISION ON THE AFRICAN COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS
ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE CHILD
The Executive Council:
TAKES NOTE of the Report of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child ;
COMMENDS the Committee for the advocacy role it has played so far in popularizing the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child;
EXPRESSES concern about the plight of children especially in conflict areas in Africa;
APPEALS to Member States, which have not yet done so, to ratify the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child as a matter of priority;
URGES Member States to invest in children, include matters relating to them in national policies and programmes as well as provide the most vulnerable and excluded children with social protection;
THANKS the Chairperson of the Committee as well as those Members whose terms of office comes to an end in July 2005 for serving the Committee with dedication and loyalty;
CALLS ON Member States to continue to support the Committee to carry out its mandate efficiently;
REQUESTS the Commission to undertake study on the measures required to ensure continuity of the membership of the Committee, including the possibility of the renewal of the mandate of the members for one term;
URGES the African Union Commission to strengthen the Committee and to urgently ensure the full and effective functioning of its Secretariat.