Mapping Children on the Move within Africa Similarly, in North Africa and Sahelian countries, although some significant progresses have been achieved in recent years in terms of responding to some needs (education, health), some existing mechanisms and frameworks remain inadequate to fully protect children. Indeed, “the best interest assessment and determination mechanisms are often weak and lack standardized criteria for the identification and assessment of needs and services provision for children on the move…[there are] lengthy procedures to appoint guardians, determining a child’s legal status or facilitating family reunification ”.491 These weaknesses could be attributed to the overall legal framework in both North African and Sahel countries to guide decisions around irregular migratory flows in general and children on the move in particular. A review of the reports of the UN Committee on the rights of the Child indicate for instance that all countries in the region have either very loose frameworks or inadequate ones.492 The lack of such frameworks creates risk around statelessness, access to basic healthcare and education, the status of the child in the country, risk of deportation of unaccompanied minors, as well as arrest and detention; all of which have been reported in the region. The lack of coordination between security services, child protection services, and other government bodies has also opened the way for inconsistent application of principles under the Protocol. 6.2 Lack of regional coordination may result in additional abuses As noted above, the length of the journey of children on the move can increase abuses. Some children moving within a free movement space also do not benefit from equal protection within the region. Although there are a number of initiatives on the area of migration, there is still lack of knowledge, insufficient response and weak coordination. During the 2015 Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa which took place in Zimbabwe, the Minister of Home Affairs for the Government of Zimbabwe underscored the need for regional cooperation particularly in protecting unaccompanied children.493 Notably, in 2015 SADC launched the regional action plan to address mixed migration in the region with four thematic areas prioritized for action, namely; protection of unaccompanied migrant children, statelessness, alternatives to detention and voluntary return.494 Also, the IGAD region which constitues of Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti launched the IGAD-Migration Action Plan (MAP) to operationalize The IGAD Regional Migration Policy Framework (IGAD-RMPF) 2015-2020. The IGAD members seek to focus on efforts that help find ways to enhance the benefits of migration for the development of the region especially t hrough 491. 492. 493. 494. North African Mixed Migration Hub. 2017. Children on the Move. http://www.mixedmigrationhub.org/ wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Children-on-the-Move.pdf Last accessed: 26 May 2017 See for instance UN Committee on the rights of the child. 2012. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 44 of the Convention: Algeria. CRC/C/DZA/CO/3-4 P16 or UN Committee on the rights of the child. 2014. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 44 of the Convention: Morocco. CRC/C/MAR/CO/3-4 P7 or Hanafi, S. 2017. Indicateurs des droits de l’homme des migrants et de leurs familles en Tunisie. https://www.knomad.org/sites/default/files/201708/2018000180FREfre001.pdf last accessed: 3 June 2018 Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa Addressing Mixed and Irregular Migration in the SADC Region: Protection of the Unaccompanied Migrant Child Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe 7- 9 July 2015 p 32. IOM, SADC Officials Meet to Discuss Region’s Mixed and Irregular Migration Challenges, https://www.iom.int/news/sadc-officials-meet-discuss-regions-mixed-and-irregular-migration-challenges 17 September 2018. 87