I. INTRODUCTION 1. The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC/the Committee) extends its compliments to the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini and wishes to acknowledge with appreciation receipt of the initial report on the status of the implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the African Children’s Charter/the Charter). The ACERWC, during its 33rd Ordinary Session, which was held from 18 to 28 March 2019, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, considered the Kingdom of eSwatini’s initial report which was submitted in accordance with the State Party’s obligation under Article 43 of the African Children’s Charter. 2. The Committee welcomes the constructive dialogue it held with the delegation of eSwatini, led by the Deputy Prime Minister of the kingdom of ESwatini, Senator Themba Masuku. The Committee also applauds the rich representation of the relevant Government organs among the delegation. The dialogue enabled the Committee to better understand the measures that the State Party has undertaken towards the implementation of the African Children’s Charter and the challenges it has faced. After a careful consideration of the facts in the State Party Report and the information provided during the constructive dialogue, the Committee has developed and adopted the following Concluding Observations and Recommendations which, in the Committee’s view, provide guidance to better enhance the implementation of the provisions of the African Children’s Charter. II. PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHARTER 3. The Committee applauds the legislative and institutional measures that the State Party has undertaken to implement the Charter. Particularly, the Committee appreciates the Government for taking the following measures: i. Ratifying the African Charter on the rights and welfare of the Child; The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; The Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography; The Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Person, The Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoptions, The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Convention 138 on Minimum Age and The Convention on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child labour; The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development and SADC’s Strategic Framework and Programme of Action for Comprehensive Care and Support for Orphans, Vulnerable Children and 2

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