FOREWORD This National Initial Report is part of efforts to monitor the implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). It was drafted in accordance with Article 43 of this regional enactment, an act that is of great significance and capital importance for our country. Not only is it a concrete reflection of the will of the government to honour commitments it took at the regional level regarding children but it also stands as an eloquent proof of the great interest government pays to issues dealing with the protection and development of the child. It is also important to observe that the quality of the report matches the seriousness and high level of commitment of all the partners who took part in its elaboration. In the light of the forgoing, Ladies and Gentlemen, you will therefore readily understand the pride and satisfaction that is mine to author the foreword of such an important document. Also, based on the clear and reliable facts it provides on the ground covered, the progress made, the experiences gained during the protection and promotion of children‟s rights recognized in the Charter, the loopholes observed and lessons learnt, this report stands as a dependable benchmark and tool for advocacy and social mobilization for an effective implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. It is commonly said that any society that is negligent of the present and future conditions of its children carries the germs of its own destruction. This universally acclaimed truth points to the need for us all to take ownership of this report and strive further to make the enjoyment of the rights enshrined in the ACRWC real for all our children. I hope this important document will serve as a means for the strengthening of national and international solidarity towards our children. Lastly, I want to thank and congratulate all those who contributed to the elaboration on this National Initial Report on the implementation of ACRWC. (sgd) Mrs BARRY BIBATA ONANDOU, Minister for Women‟s Empowerment and Child Protection 4