The African Union convened its Member States and strategic partners on Tuesday, 17^th March, followed by a technical capacity‑building session on domestic financing on Thursday, 19^th March 2026, at the Permanent Mission of the African Union to the United Nations. The engagements focused on advancing the operationalization of the African Union Accountability Framework, with a view to strengthening legal and community-based justice systems to enhance the protection of children and adolescents against cross-border trafficking, rights violations, and exploitation.

The meeting which took place on the sidelines of the Seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) addressed the multifaceted challenges associated with cross-border trafficking of girls, the proliferation of illegal and criminal networks and the alignment of formal, community and traditional justice systems to ensure coherent and effective protection mechanisms, signifying the timely nature of the meeting.

In his opening remarks, His Excellency Amb. Mohamed Edrees, Permanent Representative of the AU Mission to the UN affirmed African Union’s commitment to act and not just to diagnose. “The AU Accountability Framework on elimination of harmful practices represents our collective commitment to closing the gap between our progressive policies and the lived reality of our most vulnerable citizens.’’ Today, we focus specifically on how this framework can strengthen the continuum of justice, from the community courtyard to the courtroom where the rights of children, with particular attention to girls affected by harmful practices, must be upheld and vindicated – the permanent representative added.

The Accountability Framework endorsed by the African Union Heads of State and Government in 2024, has been operational since 2025 in Six (6) Member States, namely: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia. The side event provided a platform to strengthen advocacy for broader operationalisation across additional Member States, aiming to protect and empower children and adolescents, particularly girls, mitigate exposure to illicit activities and address vulnerabilities to foster resilient and safe communities.

The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development of Uganda, Honourable Betty Amongi Akena, emphasised the decisive action the Uganda government has taken in addressing the cross-border violations against girls by enacting comprehensive legal and strategic framework that protect girls from various forms of exploitations and harmful practices. “These laws are often cross-referenced to ensure that a single act of violation can be prosecuted under multiple statutes for maximum protection’’ – the Minister highlighted.

The harmonisation of regional legal and regulatory frameworks, alongside justice systems, is critical, as enhanced alignment will significantly disrupt and progressively dismantle transnational criminal networks that exploit legislative fragmentation, inefficiencies and systemic gaps across jurisdictions.

The theme of CSW70 - “Access to Justice” - compels us to look beyond legal institutions alone. Justice must not begin and end in the courtroom. For a girl who has been trafficked across borders, justice must be a continuum - from rescue and protection to legal accountability and ultimately, to reintegration into society with sustained psychosocial support and opportunities for recovery and empowerment– Underscored by Amb. Amma A, Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development.

Amb. Liberata Mulamula, AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) indicated how many people perceive security to be only about borders, territory and state stability. ‘’I speak to you today from the perspective of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, an agenda that reminds us that peace is not only about the absence of conflict, but about the presence of justice, protection and dignity, especially for women and girls’’ – the Envoy added.

The meetings contributed to the following key outputs:

• Advanced technical deliberations on the African Union Accountability Framework, strengthening conceptual clarity and delineating actionable pathways for enhancing Member States’ accountability mechanisms.

• Facilitated alignment on an integrated, gender-transformative approach to the prevention of and response to harmful practices affecting children.
• Reinforced the importance of inclusive and participatory approaches to ending harmful practices affecting children, including the meaningful engagement of children and youth in implementation and accountability processes.
• Strengthened advocacy for enhanced domestic and international financing, particularly for justice systems and infrastructure responsive to the needs of children.
• Provided a platform for technical exchange on challenges, good practices and emerging innovations, with a view to strengthening institutional frameworks for accountability.
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For further information, please contact:

Dr. Akinola Olubusayo | Head of Social Welfare, Crime Prevention and Drug Control Division | Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development | African Union Commission | E-mail: AkinolaO@africanunion.org

Esther Yambou | Head of Media and Information Division | Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission | and Communication Adviser for the Permanent Observer Mission of the AU to the UN, E-mail:  YambouE@africanunion.org

King David Cartey | Strategic Communication Expert | Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development | African Union Commission | E-mail: CarteyD@africanunion.org