African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) was established in 2001, drawing its mandate from Articles 32-46 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The main goal of the Secretariat is to work towards making Africa a continent that is fit for children by protecting and respecting their rights. The committee’s main functions are to collect information, interpret provisions of the Charter, monitor the implementation of the Charter, give recommendations to governments for working with child rights organisations, consider individual complaints about violations of children’s rights, and investigate measures adopted by Member States to implement the Charter.

Physical address
Nala House, Balfour Road, Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho

40 documents

Title Date
Press Release ACERWC-ACHPR over the Ongoing Debate on Female Genital Mutilation in The Gambia Statement 14 September 2023
Press Release Sierra Leone Mission Statement 11 August 2023
Press Release: ACERWC’s Advocacy Mission to the Republic of South Sudan for the Ratification of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child Statement 20 April 2023
Statement of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child Working Group on Climate Change and Children’s Rights on the Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security Statement 30 October 2022
Working Documents of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child Guidelines 30 October 2022
Déclaration du Comité Africain d'Experts sur les Droits et le Bien-être de l'Enfant (CAEDBE) Groupe de Travail sur les Droits de l'Enfant et les Entreprises à l'occasion de la Journée Mondiale contre le travail des enfants. Statement 12 June 2022
Resolution No. 16/2022 of the ACERWC Working Group on Implementation of Decisions and Recommendations of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child Resolution 15 March 2022
Resolution No. 17/2022 of the ACERWC Working Group on Children’s Rights and Business on the Protection and Promotion of Children’s Rights in the Digital Sphere in Africa Resolution 15 March 2022
Resolution No. 18/2022 of the ACERWC Working Group on Children’s Rights and Climate Change to Integrate a Child Rights-Based Approach into Climate Change Action Resolution 15 March 2022
Resolution No. 19/2022 of the ACERWC Working Group on Children with Disabilities on the Situation of Children with Albinism in Africa Resolution 14 March 2022
Report of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child Report 28 February 2022
Guidelines on Child Participation Guidelines 1 February 2022
Guidelines on the Safe Return to Schools of Children During the Covid-19 Pandemic Guidelines 1 January 2022
Report of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child Report 31 December 2021
General Comment No 7 On Article 27 Of the ACRWC “Sexual exploitation“ General comment 30 July 2021
Règlement Intérieur Révisé du Comité Africain d’Experts sur les Droits et le Bien-être de l’Enfant Guidelines 30 September 2020
Revised Rules of Procedure of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child Guidelines 30 September 2020
General Comment on Article 22 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: Children in Situations of Conflict General comment 1 September 2020
Observation Générale sur L’article 22 de la CAEDBE : Les Enfants dans les situations de Conflit General comment 1 September 2020
Letter of Urgent Appeal to The Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia on the Sexual Intercourse Related Crimes Bill Statement 17 August 2020
General Comment No. 7 on ARTICLE 27 of the ACRWC: Sexual Exploitation General comment 1 July 2020
Strategic Plan 2021-2025 Strategy 30 January 2020
ACERWC issues a letter of urgent appeal to the Government of the Republic of Mauritius Statement 27 October 2019
Concluding Observations and Recommendations of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) on the Initial Report of the Republic of Benin on the Status of the Implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child Activity Report 30 September 2019
Report of the ACERWC on the Follow-Up Mission Conducted to Monitor the Implementation of its Concluding Observations and Recommendations to the Republic of Zimbabwe Report 15 June 2019
General Comment No 5 on “State Party Obligations under the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Article 1) and Systems Strengthening for Child Protection” General comment 1 October 2018
Urgent appeal to the Government of the Republic of the Cameroon on matters concerning alleged extrajudicial execution of children suspected of being members of Boko Haram Statement 18 July 2018
General Comment on Article 31 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child on “The Responsibilities of the Child” General comment 1 October 2017
Joint General Comment of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) on Ending Child Marriage General comment 1 October 2017
Observation Générale Conjointe de la Commission Africaine des Droits de l’homme et des Peuples (CADHP) et du Comite Africain D’experts sur les Droits et le Bien-Etre de L’enfant (CAEDBE) sur L’eradication du Mariage des Enfants General comment 1 October 2017
Africa's Agenda for Children 2040 : fostering an Africa fit for children Policy 30 November 2016
Combined (Initial and Periodic) Report of Benin on the Implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: Period 1997-2015 Activity Report 31 July 2015
General Comment on Article 6 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: "Right to Birth Registration, Name and Nationality" General comment 1 October 2014
Observation Generale sur l’article 6 de la charte africaine des droits et du bien-etre de l’enfant: "Droit à l'enregistrement des naissances, à un nom et à une nationalité" General comment 1 October 2014
Model Law on Children Affected by Armed Conflict in Africa Model Law 8 May 2014
General Comment on Article 6 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: "Right to Birth Registration, Name and Nationality" General comment 15 April 2014
Addis Ababa Declaration on Ending Child Marriage in Africa Guidelines 11 April 2014
Addis Ababa Declaration on Ending Child Marriage in Africa Declaration 11 April 2014
General Comment No. 1 (Article 30 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child) on “Children of Incarcerated and Imprisoned Parents and Primary Caregivers” General comment 1 February 2013
Declaration on the Rights and Welfare of the African Child Declaration 29 November 1999