Mapping Children on the Move within Africa The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) as the principal normsetting instrument for child rights and welfare in Africa guarantees these principles and rights in addition to others. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which has been ratified by all African countries (recognized by the UN) has comparatively similar rights to those provided in the ACRWC. This Report evaluates the measures taken by states to protect rights of the children on the move based on standards guaranteed under the rights protected in the ACRWC and other relevant international human rights instruments. The Report outlines several drivers that cause movement of children within Africa. Some of the drivers include conflict, trade and economic factors, human security, climate change, smuggling and trafficking among others. These drivers cause or affect movement of children depending on their sex, age, nationality, religion, needs, and their accompanied and unaccompanied status, the particularities of their family as well as myriad of other variables. Movement of children is greatly influenced and responds to the various drivers. Often, the movement routes, means, transits and destinations, are not randomly selected but are influenced by activities in which children plan to be engaged in. This Report highlights various routes taken by children in their movement within Africa and from Africa to other parts of the world and attempt to distill information that can also help in understanding how movement occurs across gender groups. The routes include the western/northern route; the eastern route; the southern route, routes through the West and Central Africa into North Africa and the West Africa route. The Northern/Western route is used mostly by people moving from the East and Horn of Africa and other parts of Africa to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. The Eastern route stretches into Yemen and Saudi Arabia and was the most popular route for movement from the Horn of Africa. The Southern Route joins the East and Horn of Africa to South Africa, with Kenya being the main hub of transit. In respect to the routes from West and Central Africa there are three primary routes into North Africa, which migrants often use but the central route through Niger is most popular. The West Africa route is usually used by persons and children within the region who are not always seeking to leave it. This Report points out that although migration challenges affects almost all individuals, children on the move are more vulnerable. Children on the move face challenges such as discrimination, arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation, Loss of identity, name and nationality, lack of access to education and economic opportunities, sexual exploitation, trafficking, denial of health services among other hazards. In addition to these challenges, the Report notes that there are several issues that result from weak legal and institutional frameworks. It is worth noting that states have sought to address some of the legal and institutional bottlenecks within the framework of their existing law. However, at certain times states either neglect other important areas leading to abuse of rights of migrant children or rely too much on inadequate frameworks. The Report also points out other emerging issues such as lack of regional coordination may result in additional abuses, existence of largely a one size-fits-all approach in tackling mobility of children and lack of documentation, data and statistics of children on the move. Based on research undertaken in this Report, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) makes, among others, the following recommendations to Member States and relevant stakeholders: 5