The African Children's Charter

Ten years after the coming into force of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, this volume presents an analysis of its progress so far. Looking both backward and forward it provides a reflection on successes and achievements of the past, as well as setting an agenda for the future.

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The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child is a unique regional instrument for the protection of children's rights which came into force ten years ago. It provides for the establishment of a dedicated monitoring body to oversee the implementation of its provisions in the African context, namely the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC). This volume draws together a group of leading African scholars to assess the achievements and effectiveness of the Charter, the Committee and the children's rights framework in the context of African regional structures such as the African Commission, the African Human Rights Court, the African Union, NEPAD and so forth. The book is both backward and forward looking, a reflection on successes and achievements of the past, as well as setting an agenda for the future. The authors adopt a socio-legal approach, so ensuring that the book will be of value to disciplines outside of the legal field. To reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of Africa, the work includes contributions from scholars from French-speaking African countries. This work provides an invaluable resource for researchers, academics and practitioners with an interest in children's rights, and African development.