Honourable Chairperson, Expert Members and Distinguished Delegates,
The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) appreciates the opportunity to address this 46th Ordinary Session and congratulates the Committee on the 35th anniversary of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
Honourable Chairperson,
Across the continent, children continue to suffer the devastating consequences of armed conflict—in Sudan, South Sudan, the Central Sahel region, and the DRC. Killings, recruitment as child soldiers, malnutrition, displacement, and the disruption to education remain widespread. We call on the Committee to urge States to end the recruitment and use of children by armed groups, hold perpetrators accountable, and adopt national child protection frameworks aligned with the Committee’s Model Law on Children Affected by Armed Conflict in Africa.
We are alarmed by the recent mass abduction of school children in Niger and Kebbi States, Nigeria, harrowing incidents which violate children’s rights to education, safety and dignity. We urge the Committee to call on Nigeria to take immediate and concrete actions to: secure the safe release of all abducted children, strengthen protection of schools by addressing the broader issue of insecurity in the region, and hold perpetrators accountable as a matter of priority.
We are deeply concerned by the protracted lead-poisoning crisis in Kabwe, Zambia, which continues to violate children’s rights to health, life, and a safe environment. We urge the Committee, through its Working Group on Business and Children’s Rights, to call on Zambia to:
- implement the Committee’s recommendations as contained in the November 2024 concluding observations on the assessment of Zambia,
- ensure corporate accountability, and
- halt unsafe mining activities in Kabwe.
We remain deeply concerned about the continued practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) across the continent. We draw the Committee’s attention to the ongoing Supreme Court case challenging the statutory ban on FGM in The Gambia. In July 2025, in a case filed by IHRDA and Partners, the ECOWAS Court of Justice found Sierra Leone in violation of girls’ rights for failing to criminalize FGM. In Liberia, progress continues with a draft bill to ban harmful cultural practices currently before Parliament. We urge the Committee to call on The Gambia to safeguard existing legal protections against FGM, Sierra Leone to enact legislation criminalizing FGM in line with the ECOWAS Court ruling, and Liberia to expedite passage of its proposed legislation.
Finally, we commend the Committee for publishing its study on the implementation of its decisions. The findings reveal a significant implementation gap, exacerbated by chronic non-compliance with the 180-day reporting rule and delays in State Party periodic reporting. We urge the Committee to refer persistent non-compliance to the AU Executive Council, name non-compliant States in its Activity Reports, and systematically follow up on implementation during State reporting and through dedicated follow-up missions.
Thank you, Honourable Chairperson.
