What
a Awesome day for me at ilab's
Welcome to Hon. Beyan F. Pewee blog and it is an
opportunity for me to have you as my viewer. Please consider making
meaningful contribution to this blog.
This is where we share our own experience and
prioritize Child rights Promotio0n and Protection in Liberia.
I also want to announce to you that the Day of the
African Child is up and we are anticipating to have a hug
participation this year, especially in Nimba county.
Please continue reading below the background of
the DAC 2013.
THEME:
“ELIMINATING HARMFUL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL PRACTICES AFFECTING
CHILDREN: OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY”
I. INTRODUCTION
1. The Day of the African Child (DAC) is
commemorated every year on June 16 by Member States of the African
Union (AU), and its Partners (in accordance with Resolution
CM/Res.1290 (XL).
2. This commemoration is firstly an occasion to
recall the 1976 uprisings in Soweto, when a protest by school
children in South Africa against apartheid-inspired education
resulted in the brutal and deadly repression of these unarmed young
protesters by police officials. Secondly, the DAC further presents an
opportunity to reflect on the lived realities of children in Africa.
It allows caregivers focus on the work of all actors committed to the
rights of children on the continent, to consolidate their efforts in
addressing the obstacles for realizing the rights of children. The
DAC also provides an occasion for Governments, International
Institutions and communities to renew their on-going commitments
towards improving the plight of marginalized in general and
particularly vulnerable children and raising awareness. These
Governments, Institutions and Communities organize activities and
programs to improve the situation of all children and to include
those who require special care.
3. The African Committee of
Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), the treaty
body established to monitor the implementation of the African Charter
on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) annually selects the
theme for the DAC. In 2012, African States commemorated the 22nd DAC
under the theme of “The Rights of Children with Disabilities: The
Duty to Protect, Respect, Promote and Fulfil”. This commemoration
aimed at creating widespread awareness of the rights of children with
disabilities and the necessary measures that need to be undertaken in
order to uphold their rights.
4. For the commemoration of the 23rd DAC in 2013, the African
Committee has selected and adopted the theme ““Eliminating
Harmful Social and Cultural Practices affecting Children: Our
Collective Responsibility”.” The AU Executive Council has
endorsed this theme during its 21th Session held in July 2012 in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
5. The purpose of this concept note is to elaborate on the
reason that led the Committee to choose this theme, the content, the
nature of obligations of States and the role of other stakeholders in
relation to this theme. While it is not prescriptive, these
guidelines give an idea of the main activities and obligations of
States parties to be considered under this theme. Attached at the end
of the concept note is a Reporting Guideline on the celebration of
the DAC for States to enable them to submit a summary to the ACERWC
on the activities undertaken for the celebration of the DAC.
II. TERMINOLOGY
6. In ordinary parlance, the term “harmful traditional
practice” has been particularly associated with Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM). Here, however, the term “harmful practice” is
used to cover all traditional, customary, social and religious
practices that are injurious to children’s physical, psychological
and social well-being, health, education and general development.
7. « Violence result(s) in severe traumas on children as well
as serious and lasting psycho-traumatic consequences on their health,
with repercussions on their psychomotor development, their schooling
and their social life in the short and long term1. »
III.
Objectives of the 2013 - Day of the African Child (DAC)
8. The
general objective of the celebration of the DAC in 2013 is to call
attention to harmful social and cultural practices against children,
and highlight the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders.
In particular, underscoring the roles and responsibilities of States
Parties to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare
of the Child “Statement on Violence against Children” pages 2 &
3. Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in order to combat
and eliminate harmful practices against children in Africa is one of
the main objectives of the 2013 DAC.
9. The specific objectives of the celebration of the 2013 DAC
are the following:
- To take stock of and raise awareness about harmful practices
against children;
- To highlight the negative consequences of
harmful practices on the various rights of children;
- To explain
the impact of various activities resulting from the ratification of
international and regional Human rights in Harmful Practices in
particular by using research on the topic;
- To recommend the
urgent need to review existing legislative and policy frameworks, as
well as practices, at national level to combat and eliminate harmful
practices against children;
- To undertake advocacy with African
Governments, civil society organizations including faith based
organizations, the media and other role players for greater
mobilization for the realization of the rights of children against
harmful practices;
- To identify areas of concern, aligned with
the African Children’s Charter and the Call for Accelerated Action,
where action should be taken by Governments as a matter of urgency;
-
To consider effective strategies for the prevention of harmful
practices against children.
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