The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) would like to inform the media and the general public, that in line with the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the adoption of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, a Conference will be organized back to back with the 26th Ordinary Session of the ACERWC which will be held on 16 - 21 November, 2015, at the New Conference Centre of the African Union Commission Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

At the core of this commemoration is a high level conference to assess the status of the rights of children in Africa 25 years after the adoption of the Charter and to develop an agenda for the next 25 years. During the Conference challenges and success of the endeavors employed to promote and protect the rights of the child in Africa will be assessed. With a view of  guiding the future efforts which will be exerted to promote and protect the rights and welfare of children in Africa, the outcome of the Conference will be development of a long term (for the coming 25 years) Agenda for Children’s Rights in Africa. Panel discussion and parallel sessions on identified thematic areas with the participation of the Chairperson of the PRC, higher officials from the African Union Commission, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Violence Against Children, members of AU Human Rights Organs, UN Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations,  Civil Society Organizations and academic institutions will be held on 20-21 November, 2015.

Prior to the Conference, the ACERWC will hold its 26th Ordinary Session where State Party Reports on the implementation of the African Children’s Charter from the Governments of Algeria, Congo, Gabon and Lesotho will be considered. The Committee has witnessed a significant increase in submission of State Party reports since the launch of the Campaign for the Universal Ratification of and Reporting on the African Children’s Charter in January 2014. The 26th Ordinary Session will also witness the swearing in of new Committee members, who were elected by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union during the last 25th Ordinary Summit. Other activity will include the consideration of the admissibility of a Communication (complaint) against a State Party and the election of the new bureau of the Committee.

Media are invited to attend and cover the Opening ceremony of the 26th Ordinary Session on Monday, 16 November,  at 08:00 AM, and the Opening Ceremony of the Conference, on 20 November, at 09:00 AM, and all the open sessions.