148 Mezmur/18th birthday of the African Children’s Rights Charter left behind such as children living in poverty, children deprived of their family environments, children affected by armed conflict, children subjected to harmful practices, children with disabilities, and indigenous children. Substantively speaking, there still remain a number of provisions of the Charter whose application to issues of great significance today needs to be clarified. Some of these issues have been around for years, while others are emerging issues. In relation to the latter, challenges created as a result of the advancement of technology, climate change, migration crisis, health emergencies (such as Ebola), terrorism (such as the so-called Islamic State and its effect on children’s rights) and responses to it, privatisation and increased globalisation, as well as economic crisis (including the current fall on commodity prices) which often lead to austerity measures need to benefit from a robust interpretation of the provisions of the Charter. As shown above, there are also issues that need further guidance in relation to definition of a child, child marriage, and children and armed conflict. The sustained success (or lack thereof) of the Charter also hinges on the extent to which its provisions are able to stimulate efforts for institutional reforms. This includes institutional reforms for improved data collection, coordination, budgeting, as well as concerted efforts by and engagement with national human rights institutions and CSOs. Ongoing work by the African Committee on a draft General Comment on general measures of implementation and systems strengthening holds potential to give States detailed guidance on some of these important institutional reforms. Inevitably, the extent to which States manage to create synergy between the Charter and their efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will be critical. Indeed, breaking the silos between those working in human rights and those in development is apposite to make progress on issues such child protection, early childhood education and reducing inequality. The themes for the DAC in 2017 and 2018 that are focused on the SDGs are indeed a welcome platform to contribute to achieving this link, and positive synergy. The core work of the Committee in relation to State party reporting, individual complaints and investigative missions is on a positive trajectory. Moreover, the activities around the DAC, issuing general comments, conducting studies, and the granting of observer status are important catalysts for the implementation of the Charter. Critically important, the prospect of the Committee having direct access to the African Court through an amendment of the Court Protocol, a process that has officially been triggered by the Court in 2017,129 holds a lot of potential to improve the protective mandate of the Committee. Engagement with relevant AU organs, such as the Peace and Security Council needs to be strengthened. These notwithstanding, unless the budgetary allocations for the Committee significantly increase beyond 129 Advisory Opinion, Request 2/2013, 5 December 2014, http://en.african-court.org/ images/Cases/Advisory%20Opinion/Advisory%20Opinions/Advisory%20Opinion%20 no%20%20002-2013.pdf (accessed 30 October 2017).