On the agenda in Algiers: African children’s rights and nationality
Published: 23/Nov/2011
Source: Open Society Foundations
By Laura Bingham
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) will meet for its 18th Session in Algiers next week (November 27 – December 1, 2011), providing an important occasion for states, civil society organizations, international human and children’s rights organizations and other stakeholders to come together to deliberate on the status of children’s rights in Africa.
The upcoming session follows shortly upon the publication of the Committee’s first ever decision on a Communication filed under its complaints procedure, relating to discrimination in access to nationality for Nubian children in Kenya. The decision’s significance extends well beyond Kenya, however, as it solidifies important principles about children’s right to nationality and their entitlement to equal access to economic and social rights, as guaranteed by the African Children’s Charter, which the Committee monitors. The Committee’s dedication and commendable engagement on these issues deserves recognition from the human rights community in Africa and globally.
Read further on OSF website: On the Agenda in Algiers: African Children’s Rights and Nationality