Criminal code;
Decree fixing the list of hazardous and forbidden child labour in the Republic of
Benin;
Draft law on the promotion and protection of persons with disabilities
Law on prevention, care and control of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Benin.
5.
These various legislative and regulatory acts as well as the conventions and treaties
signed complement or reinforce the legal framework and contribute to its
harmonization with the provisions of the charter.
6.
To operationalize the national child protection system, different institutions are also
created to implement the child protection and promotion policy.
a.
Institutional arrangements for children
7.
In Benin, following structures are responsible for child protection :
The Ministry of Family, Social Affairs, National Solidarity, Disabled and Elderly
8.
It has a legal mandate to develop child policy, coordinate interventions for children as
well as support and meet children with disabilities, including the disabled and
orphans.
It acts mainly through the Directorate for Family, Childhood and
Adolescence (DFEA) and the Directorate of Social Affairs and National Solidarity.
There are also two other directorates in this ministry whose activities contribute to the
implementation of children's rights at the central level: the Directorate for the
Rehabilitation and Integration of People with Disabilities (DRIPH) and the Directorate
for the Promotion of Woman and Gender. There is an Observatory for the Family,
Women and Children (OFFE), a scientific institution that deals with the collection,
analysis, processing and dissemination of statistical data. In addition to the technical
departments, a Social Development Support Fund is put in place in this Ministry.
These directorates are represented at the departmental level by six (6) departmental
directorates, managing under their supervision eighty-five (85) social promotion
centers spread throughout Benin. This allows the ministry to ensure a comprehensive
coverage of the country.
9.
10.
The National Childcare Monitoring and Coordination Unit (CNSCPE) is another
institution chaired by the Ministry of Family, this multisectoral unit coordinates child
protection activities at the national and deconcentrated and community levels,
through its various branches at departmental and communal levels.
The Ministry of Family Affairs is coordinating the activities of the National Consultative
Council for Children.
The Ministry of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights:
11.
The Ministry of Justice is the main government entity responsible for providing justice
services to citizens and therefore to children. It is responsible for the administration of
juvenile justice. It has for this purpose active structures such as:
The Directorate for Legal Protection of Children and Youths (DPJEJ), responsible for
coordinating the national policy on child justice on the one hand, and the supervision
of the Child and Adolescent Protection Centers (CSEA).