The Africa Governance Report prevent conflict through an early warning system and diplomacy, manage conflicts through peacemaking and peace-support operations support peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction and recommend interventions in Member States to promote peace, security, and stability.42 The AGA was established in recognition of the centrality of democratic governance in addressing structural causes of conflict and crises, including curbing unconstitutional changes of government. The AGA was thus designed to complement APSA to address the structural or root causes and drivers of conflicts. The institutional complementarity of the AGA and APSA is affirmation that democratic governance, peace and security are interrelated and mutually reinforcing imperatives. ` RECs have also been increasingly involved in peace and security initiatives, including mediation, peace building and management. The involvement of RECs in AU peace efforts is grounded in the 2008 Protocol on Relations between the RECs and the AU, and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the Area of Peace and Security between the AU, RECs and the Coordinating Mechanisms of the Regional Standby Brigades of eastern and northern Africa. Box 4: Contributions of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) to Peace and Security The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) was established in 2001. Its mandate derives from the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Articles 32-46). The main roles are promoting, protecting, and respecting the rights of children. The committee’s functions include: interpreting the Charter, monitoring its implementation, receiving and considering individual complaints about violations of children’s rights, investigating measures adopted by Member States to implement the Charter, collecting information and providing recommendations to governments and child rights organisations for the promotion and protection of the rights of children. As of July 2018, Forty-eight of the 55 AU Member States had ratified the Charter. Member States are required to submit reports on implementation of the Charter every three years. Civil society organizations also present shadow reports. The ACERWC has been very influential in addressing issues relating to the impact of conflicts and crises on child rights. It’s investigations and recommendations have included children on the move, attacks on schools during conflict, issues of nationality and statelessness of migrant children, children and slavery, and laws about the age of adulthood. In collaboration with some RECs, the ACERWC is working on regional child rights policies. The ACERWC developed the Africa Agenda for Children 2040: Fostering an Africa Fit for Children, which was adopted by the AU Assembly and is currently being popularised. The agenda, which is inspired by the Children’s Charter, also draws on other relevant legal and political documents, to develop an effective framework for the advancement of children’s rights such as access to nourishment and basic necessities, right to education, protection from abuse, and efforts to develop a child-sensitive criminal justice system, etc. Sources: https://au.int/en/sa/acerwc; ACERWC, Africa’s Agenda for Children 2040: Fostering an Africa Fit for Children 5.9 Challenges to Peace, Security and Governance in Africa Despite the existence of policy and institutional frameworks for peace and security, there are still many challenges to the effective development of these ideals.. These are due mainly to shortcomings in the implementation of the instruments and the functioning of institutions. 5.9.1 Implementation of the AU Shared Values Instruments There are many instruments for preventing conflicts and crises, and for promoting sustainable peace, security and governance on the continent. However, more Member States should be encouraged to sign, ratify and implement all them. Indeed, the Open Session of the AUPSC 42 https://au.int/en/organs/psc. Page 62 of 96