Workshop On The Popularization of Agenda 2040 and Cross Border
Issues Affecting Children by The African Committee of Experts on the
Rights and Welfare of the Child in the Economic Community of West
African States
Introduction
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
(ACERWC) in 2015 developed Africa’s Agenda for Children 2040, otherwise
known as Agenda 2040. The Agenda was developed during the celebration of
the 25th anniversary of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the
Child to set aspirations for African countries which will be implemented and
achieved in the next 25 years of the Charter.
Taking into consideration the significant role that Regional Economic
Communities (RECs) can play in advancing children’s rights in general and the
aspirations of Agenda 2040 in particular, the ACERWC in its 30th Ordinary
Session decided to engage RECs in the dissemination and implementation of
the Agenda. Accordingly the ACERWC undertook popularization workshops in
East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community
(SADC) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The
popularization workshops were supplemented by discussions on cross-border
issues affecting children in the regions.
The objectives of the popularization of Agenda 2040 in Regional Economic
Communities include:
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To enhance awareness and knowledge about Agenda 2040 among the
Secretariat of RECs and their respective Partner States;
To create sense of ownership of Agenda 2040 among RECs;
To identify priorities, challenges and worrying trends in the respective RECs
taking into consideration the specific and peculiar context of each of the
RECs;
To identify cross-border issues affecting children’s rights in each of the
RECs to better inform areas of collaboration and joint activities in the
implementation of Agenda 2040;
To encourage RECs to engage their Partner States on the Agenda;
To ensure that RECs join hands with the ACERWC in monitoring the
implementation of the Agenda in States by using their legislative and
institutional mechanisms; and