INTRODUCTION The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) is a reference interAfrican legal instrument, adopted in July 1990 by the 26th OAU Assembly of Heads of State and Government. It was ratified by Niger on 11 December 1996. Its ratification is subject to the commitment taken by each State to formulate an initial report, in keeping with article 43(1) of the Charter which stipulates that: Every State Party to the present Charter shall undertake to submit to the Committee through the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity, reports on the measures they have adopted which give effect to the provisions of this Charter and on the progress made in the enjoyment of these rights: a) within two years of the entry into force of the Charter for the State Party concerned: b) and thereafter, every three years. In keeping with the commitment made by the State of Niger which ratified the Charter, this report will identify the monitoring mechanisms put in place as part of pro-child actions and focus on the means used to ensure the survival, protection, development and participation of the child in the country. The first part of this report will deal with the geographical, demographic, political and economic presentation of Niger. It will also treat the legal framework of the protection of human rights in general in Niger. In the second part, the focus will be on the situation of children in Niger, the measures taken to implement the Charter, the progress made in this domain and in the areas of the survival, protection, development and participation of the child in Niger. The report will also look at: - General measures, especially the definition of the child, issues concerning majority, nationality, freedoms and lastly civil rights. - General principles pertaining to non discrimination, the best interest of the child, the child‟s right to life, survival, development and participation. - The study of the family milieu, focusing on protection, substitution and the special protection measures for children in emergency situations, children in conflict with the law, those who are victims of exploitation or come from minority groups. - The analysis of the health and welfare of children such as access to care, social security and the right to a decent standard of living. - the situation of handicapped or abandoned children in Niger. - Lastly, the right to education and professional guidance, to leisure and cultural activities. 5