Day of the Africa Child 2020

‘‘Access to a child-friendly system in Africa.”

 

I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of H.E. the Chairperson on the Day of the African Child. The Day of the African Child was first conceptualized by the Heads of State and Governments of then OAU in commemoration of the 16th June 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa.

 

Our young South African students marked in protest against the apartheid-inspired Bantu education which was intended to prepare them for a future of perpetual servitude. They refused to learn Afrikaans.

 

If we must learn Afrikaans, Botha must learn Zulu, they chanted in defiant unison.

 

The march resulted in the public killing of many unarmed young Soweto students by the apartheid police. The first to fall was Hector Pieterson, forever immortalized by a memorial in Soweto.

 

Since then, Africa, through the OAU and the AU, have used June 16 every year to celebrate Africa’s children. This day is intended to inspire sober reflection and dedicated action towards addressing the plethora of challenges that children in Africa face. These include but not limited to lack of education, child labour, child abuse, child soldiers, child trafficking, etc.

 

Africa celebrates this day to commemorate our children and the brave action they took to claim their right. This uprising marked the beginning of the end of apartheid.

 

Africa’s children are Africa’s future. We are obliged to invest in our children, if we are to achieve the Africa we want.

Following on the practice and on the basis of the recommendation made by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Executive Council adopted “Access to a Child-Friendly Justice System in Africa” to be the theme of the Day of the African Child for the year 2020, to resonate with the African Union theme, Silencing the Guns.

 

This year’s theme calls on Member States of the African Union to create and enhance a child-friendly justice system which caters to the specific needs of all Africa’s children wherever they are, in Africa and beyond.

 

The African Union Commission recognizes that access to justice is a fundamental right. It is an essential prerequisite for the protection and promotion of all other human rights. This is especially true in the case of children.

 

This can only be based on all- inclusive education for all Africa’s children, and then employment and jobs, science and technology.

 

Without ensuring access to justice, child rights commitments will remain only promises on paper that do not serve the interest of children.

We recognize the progress that some of our Member States have made in enhancing access to justice for children.

 

These include child-friendly courts and dedicated law enforcement units. But we have to work to make this a living reality throughout our continent.

 

The African Union Commission would also like to stress the need to create a justice system that responds to the specific needs of children. More is required to be done to ensure that the administration of justice in Member States adequately responds to the rights and needs of children.

We are still far behind.

 

We must ensure that ‘detention is the very last resort’ to keep

 

children in conflict with the law out of prison and in school. We need more schools, and fewer prisons for children.

In the majority of our countries, the criminal justice system is yet to provide special treatment to children consistent with their dignity. Children are frequently detained together with adults. This is clearly not the best way to treat child offenders.

 

Children whose parents fall foul of the law in Africa are an invisible and often highly vulnerable group. Their rights and welfare can be gravely affected at every stage of their parent’s criminal proceedings and term of imprisonment. These children are often born in prison, and remain in prison with their parents.

 

To address these challenges, the African Union Commission calls on Member States to enhance efforts and take necessary measures to give Africa’s children the justice they deserve.

 

Today, we call on Member States to recommit to work towards fully implementing the African Children’s Charter, our Agenda 2063 and the AU Children Agenda 2040, to create the Africa we want, that can only be an Africa fit for Children, an Africa that today’s children can be proud of when they grow to become the leaders of the Africa we want.

 

Thank you.

I now have the honour to wish Africa’s children a happy Africa Children’s Day!