The new Child Policy and Strategic Plan of Action provide a comprehensive conceptual architecture and concrete guidance for coordinating the efforts of all stakeholders in the ECOWAS region towards achieving the goals of extant international instruments relative to child rights. These include, specifically the SDGs 1 – 6 (no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality and clear water and sanitation); the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACEWC); and the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. The ECOWAS Child Policy is in line with ILO Minimum Age and Worst forms of Child Labour Conventions No. 138 and 182 respectively. Furthermore the promotion of good nutritional outcomes for children in the first six months is also well captured in the Policy, as it recognizes the importance of the ILO Maternity Protection Convention 2000 (No. 183) and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 191). The broad objective of the Child Policy is to assist ECOWAS Member States to create an environment that is conducive to child survival, development, protection and participation across the entire region. The Specific Objectives of the Child Policy are to assist ECOWAS Member States to: i. Ratify and domesticate all relevant international agreements affecting children’s rights, including the CRC and its three Optional Protocols, the ACRWC; the ILO Minimum Age and Worst Forms of Child Labour Conventions (Nos. 138 and 182, respectively), the ILO Maternity Protection Convention 2000 (Convention No. 183) and its accompanying Recommendation (191), the UN Standard Minimum rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (Beijing rules); CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol; the joint ECOWAS and Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) inter-regional agreement to combat trafficking in persons; and the ECOWAS Strategic Framework for Strengthening National Child Protection Systems to prevent and respond to Violence, Abuse and Exploitation against Children in West Africa; ii. Formulate, implement and monitor programmes to ensure improvements in child survival, development, protection and participation; iii. Identify, budget and allocate sufficient resources for child-related matters, including child protection, health, education and social protection; iv. Establish a stronger leadership within ECOWAS to advance child rights, which can forge stronger collaboration and partnerships across Member States.
2019-01-01