report of the eastern cso forum africa delegates … – 1300 guidelines for reporting case...

Report of the Eastern Africa Delegates Meeting on Child Rights

18th – 21stMarch 2014

Silver Springs Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya

18 th – 21st March 2014Silver Springs Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya

With support from

REPORT OF THE EASTERN AFRICA DELEGATES MEETING ON CHILD RIGHTS

CSO ForumCivil Society Forum on theAfrican Charter on the Rightsand Welfare of the Child

EastErn africa DElEgatEs MEEting on chilD rights2

TAblE of ConTEnTs

1: List of Abbreviation and Acronyms ......................................................................... 3

2: Key Note Addresses ............................................................................. ................... 7

Complementary/Alternative Reporting by CSOs .................................................. ... 8

The Campaign for the Universal Ratification of and Reporting on the ACRWC ... . . 15

Coalition Building and Networking ........................................................................ 18

The Eastern Africa Child Rights Network - Moving Forward ................................... 23

Closing Remarks ..................................................................................................... 25

Appendix 1: State of Children in South Sudan ................................................................ 26

Appendix 2: The African Committee of Experts-A Review .............................................. 27

Appendix 3: List of Delegates ......................................................................................... 28

EastErn africa DElEgatEs MEEting on chilD rights 3

lisT of AbbREviATion AnD ACRonyMs

ACERWC African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

ACRWC African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

AU African Union

APSP Africa Platform for Social Protection

CLAN Children Legal Action Network

CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child CSO Civil Society Organization

CRNSA Child Rights Network for Southern Africa

CROC Committee on the Rights of the Child

DRC Democratic Republic of Congo

EAC East African Community

EACHRights East Africa Centre for Human Rights

INGO International Non-Governmental Organization

MDG Millennium Development Goals

NCC National Council on Children

PANOC Pan African Network of Organizations Working on Children

SSA Sub-Saharan Africa

TCRF Tanzania Child Rights Forum

UN United Nations

URT United Republic of Tanzania


EAST AFRICA DELEGATES MEETING 18TH – 21ST MARCH 2014

vEnUE: silvER sPRinGs HoTEl, nAiRobi, KEnyA

fACiliTAToR: EloisE bURKE

PRoGRAMME

Time Activity Lead18th March 20140800 – 0830 Registration0830 – 0900 Introductions Eloise Burke0900 – 1035 Welcome

Key Note Address

The Campaign overview

Dr. Tavengwa Nhongo-APSP

Phoebe Wahome - CLAN

Sidikou Moussa - CSO Forum President

George Nyakora – AMC President

Dr. Clement Mashamba - ACERWC

1035 – 1100 Health Break1100 – 1300 Guidelines for reporting

Case studies/experiences from Eastern Africa Countries - Complementary reports (Process for producing report)

Tanzania

Uganda

Kenya

Remember Miamingi

Sabas Masawe – TCRN

Stella Ayo-Odongo - UCRNN

Gilbert Onyango-EACHRights 1300 – 1400 Lunch1400 – 1600 Review of Complementary Report from

Mozambique Eloise Burke

End of Day Coffee and Tea


19th March 20140830 – 0900 Check-in0900 – 1000 Advocacy with governments on reporting

Data collection and accurate statistics

Stella Ayo-Odongo - UCRNN

Sarah Guebreyes – ACPF

1000 – 1030 Health Break1030 – 1300 What is the status of child rights in Eastern Africa? Eloise Burke

1300 – 1400 Lunch 1400 – 1600 Rationale for an Eastern Africa Child Rights

Network?

Experience from other networks

Moussa SIDIKOU

Musa Chibwana - CRNSA

End of day Coffee and Tea

20th March 20140830 – 0900 Check-in0900 – 1000 Coalition building and networking

Discussion on Network

Dr. Tavengwa Nhongo

Eloise Burke

1000 – 1030 Health Break1030 – 1300 SWOC Analysis of a coalition

Mapping of opportunities

Role of INGOs

Eloise Burke

Chikezie Anyanwu – Plan International

1300 – 1400 Lunch Break1400 – 1600 Moving forward Modalities of working

End of day Coffee and Tea21st March 20140830 – 0900 Check- in 0930 – 1030 Working Group CSO Forum feedback Working Group

CSO Forum Mgt Committee10.30 – 1100 Tea break1100 – 1200 Feedback from the working group

Evaluation

Vote of thanks Ruth Koshal – Save the Children International

END & LUNCH


ExECUTivE sUMMARy AnD ACKnowlEDGEMEnT

Hosted by the African Platform for Social Protection (APSP) and the Children Legal Awareness Network (CLAN), the East Africa Delegates Meeting1on Child Rights deliberated on how CSOs, vital, can be organized to further the rights and welfare of children in the region. Affairs at the Delegates Meeting, which run from the 18th through 21stMarch, 2014, issued from participant presentations and group activities.

The meeting was largely successful as the set objectives were achieved. The APSP would like to thank all the participants and organizations who generously shared their time, experience, and materials during the meeting.

We would like to thank the CSO Forum Management Committee for providing support to the meeting. The APSP is particularly grateful to Save the Children International (EARO) for technical advice and financial support before and during the meeting.

The discussions herein are not attributed to any particular individual or institution.

1 The meeting was facilitated by The Africa Platform for Social Protection,the Civil Society Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children (CSO Forum) and the Children's Legal Action Network (CLAN)


1. KEy noTE ADDREssEs

1.1 African Platform for social Protection (APsP) - Dr. Tavengwa Nhongo Executive Director

The APSP sees linkages with civil society organizations (CSOs) as instrumental to its mission and has worked with Save the Children on various activities and projects to promote the protection of the rights of children. APSP work, cuts through the Social Protection sector, making the platform a legitimate partner in the promotion of the rights of children. The

workshop would, delve into how civil society organizations can be prepared and encouraged to submit complementary reports apropos the Africa Charter on the Rights and the Welfare of the Child. The workshop would explore how CSOs in the region can better coordinate to move forward the rights of children. The workshop would also create opportunities for effective networks and linkages in the promotion of matters related to the rights of children.

1.2 Children’s legal Action network (ClAn) - Ms. Phoebe Wahome

The delegates meeting grew out of the CSO Forum meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in November 2013. During this meeting, delegates from the Eastern African region—Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somaliland and Rwanda—agreed to the formation of a network for the region to step up the advancement of the rights of children. The workshop would be successful if it gave birth to such a network, which would facilitate and strengthen programming through better communication and information sharing.

1.3 Africa wide Movement for Children (AMC) - Mr. George Nyakora

Organizations that promote the rights of children in East Africa should see success, not just as breakthrough scored in countries, but also as triumphs attained collectively. Nevertheless civil society in Eastern Africa is fragmented and turf wars abound. To engage powerfully in policy formulation and advocacy, such as in budget creating, CSOs need specialized teams.

On reporting, CSOs should strive to up-grading the quality of Complementary Reports. In compiling such reports, he stressed the need for CSOs to have healthy working relationships with governments. CSOs need to develop positions, moreover, regarding the universal ratification of the ACRWC and advocate countries that have not ratified to do so. They need, moreover, to ensure they exploit opportunities to engage with special procedures, such as those emanating from the rapporteur of the region.

EAsTERn AfRiCA DElEGATEs MEETinG on CHilD RiGHTs8

2: CoMPlEMEnTARy/AlTERnATivE REPoRTinG by Csos

The ensuing session delineates the goals, justification, significance, and modalities of complementary/alternative reporting by civil society organizations. Also discussed were the challenges and lessons attached to monitoring child rights instruments. In this session, three case studies from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania gave an overview of the experiences of national civil society organizations in putting together their complementary reports.

2.1 Guidelines for state and Complementary Reporting to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and welfare of the Child (ACERwC) By: Remember Miamingi

The presentation highlighted the procedures needed in state reporting and common drawbacks observed. State Reporting is central to the human rights enterprise and basic to its effective implementation. In essence, it should be seen, not as a country subjecting itself to a treaty body, but as a country subjecting itself to itself. It is a burden not of government, but of

states. Reports to treaty bodies need to be inclusive, and reflect contributions of civil society groups.

State Reporting facilitates understanding on programmatic performance based on pre-specified indicators.

It takes place at the national and treaty level and carries five steps—understanding, reviewing, planning, monitoring, and reporting, a cycle of engagement that brings into iterative dialogue governments, civil society, and international partners.

reviewing

planningmonitoring

reporting

understanding

Steps in State Reporting


Reporting should follow clear guidelines2. Initial reports should be done every two years following ratification, with periodic reports made every 3 years thereafter.3 Initial reports focus on review of national standards and practices, and periodic reports play a promotional role. The pre-session is meant to elicit further information, ascertain the actual situation, and give updates. It should be participatory, collaborative, and inclusive in implementing recommendations.

Often, government reporting has been encumbered with numerous difficulties: poor quality, tardiness, and superficiality. This situation calls for factual and objective

complementary reports to lend credibility, depth, and perspective to State Reports. Reporting should be inclusive and include the voices of children. There is also need to lobby to have people gain knowledge of the rights of children.

2.2 Monitoring the implementation of Child-Rights instruments: Experiences and lessons from Uganda

By: Stella Oyoo-Odongo

In 1997, the Uganda Child Rights NGO Network developed the first NGO alternative report to the UN Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child. At the time, Network members felt the need for a platform to launch collective action. In 2008, the network developed two alternative reports—the Optional Protocols on the Involvement of Children in Armed Forces and the Sale of Children, Child Pornography and Prostitution. In 2009, it submitted a report to the Committee of Experts.

best Practices in Cso Reporting• Producing a holistic and comprehensive report requires constructive dialogue with all relevant line

ministries and mobilizing of resources to support State reporting. • Alternative reports work best when networks have an advisory committee composed of technical experts

from several sectors: legal, policy, participation rights, survival and development, and protection. • CSOs should select competent delegations of professionals to engage with the Committee of Experts and

prepare the government delegation to engage with them by presenting evidence-based reports. • Teams doing alternative reports should address issues related to the implementation of the treaty as well

as be prepared to respond to queries from the UN Committee satisfactorily.

2 The guidelines standard on participation is one indicator used to measure the quality of reporting.3 To-date, the over-due reports in Africa are147.


Often, government reports are delinked from grassroots processes. Alternative reports must address these shortcomings with evidence and bridge gaps in government's report as well as incorporate the voices of children. After the pre-session meeting, issues picked out need to be communicated to the government. CSOs need to actively follow-up on the implementation promptly. They should know the status of reporting of the country and track trends in the reporting cycle. They should also participate in discussions on reporting guidelines. In producing alternative reports, CSOs have learnt that having constructive, rather than adversarial, dialogue with governments, is the way to go. They need strategic partnerships with other NGOs and ensure that all relevant line ministries and centres are involved in reporting.

In Uganda, monitoring entails assessing legal instruments, national development plans, and Treaty recommendations. UN resolutions, MDGs, Cairo+5 as well the Children's Act, the Early Childhood Development Policy, and the National Council on Children need to be evaluated. CSOs should therefore work towards:

• Generating evidence and establish issue-based thematic groups that engage on pertinent issues continuously;

• Promoting implementation of treaties, produce readable versions of legal and policy instruments, and popularize treaty principles;

• Investing in capacity building training for stakeholders on CRP and CP.

2.3 KEnyA

Gilbert Onyango of the Centre for Human Rights

This year, the East Africa Centre for Human Rights (EACHRights) steered CSOs in Kenya in the process of compiling a complementary report. The Centre undertook the involving exercise of working with other CSOs to produce a fact-based report through an inclusive and participatory approach. By 12thMarch 2014, the organization had secured the country's initial (2009) State Report plus concluding observations, guidelines, and Kenya's first complementary report. On 17th March, consultative discussions agreed that the set guidelines should be followed. Five thematic clusters4were developed. A workshop was held on 22nd March 2014 to gather the views of children. In the second week of April 2014, Kenya submitted its complementary report.

2.4 Tanzania Sabas Masawe, of the Tanzania Child Rights Forum

The Tanzania Child Rights Forum (TCRF) ambition is to coordinate the activities of CSOs engaged in child rights work to ensure effective monitoring of, and timely and accurate reporting on, the

4 They were: i) alternative care, ii) general implementation, iii) civil and political rights, iv) social protection measures, v) health and education, and definition of the child.


implementation of the Law of the Child Act 2009. The TCRF also does evidence-based advocacy to influence policy and legislative reforms to children's rights in Tanzania.

The alternative report was premised in the context that the consolidated reports (3rd, 4th and 5th) submitted by the United Republic of Tanzania (URT) to the Committee of on the Rights of the Child (CROC) raised a number of critical issues needing complementary, objective and independent information. The preparation of the report was based upon five phases.

PHASE 1 Preliminary Research And Background Reading

It involved review of relevant literature: CROC’s concluding observations on URT’s 2nd periodic report, UN Harmonized Guidelines, other relevant international human rights treaties to which

URT is a State Party, URT 2nd periodic report, relevant municipal laws, case laws and regulations, and URT initial reports on OPAC and OPSP submitted to the CROC in 2008.

PHASE 2 Convening A Preliminary Session

Involving the consultants, selected members of the drafting team and a representative of the TCRF Secretariat. This session reviewed the outcome of phase one and identified critical, key issues raised in the consolidated 3rd, 4th and 5th reports that need to be addressed in the alternative

report.

PHASE 3 Involved Writing Of The Inception Report

Based on the findings and outcomes recorded in preceding phases. In the third phase, four key categories of documentation were developed—inception report, matrix of key issues, a skeleton

draft report, and a data collection template—that were presented to the Technical Task Team (TTT) for scrutiny and adoption. These documents formed the basis upon which the alternative

report preparation process was founded.

PHASE 4 The Draft Report

The draft report together with templates, were circulated to 140 TCRF members, including representatives from child rights organizations. Some member organizations convened meetings with children representatives in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar for their input into the report.

PHASE 5 The Final Draft

The final draft was shared by the TTT for finalization before being presented to TCRF who later sent it to the CROC on time.


2.5 DATA CollECTion AnD ACCURATE sTATisTiCs

Presentation by Sarah Gubreyes-African Child Policy Forum (ACPF)

Data is critical for developing and implementing appropriate policies. Nevertheless, gathering timely, reliable, and accessible data on child rights and wellbeing at country level is a challenge mainly due to cost considerations. Gathering useful data on children cost effectively hinges on collaboration between government and CSOs. This approach facilitates harmonisation, standardisation, and integration of data as well as enriches data quality and availability.

Ms. Gubreyes presentation dwelt on the experience of African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) and how it uses data and statistics in advocacy work. The presentation highlighted the role of international partners in supporting strong advocacy in Africa.

Established in September 2003, ACPF seeks to put issues of children on the public and political agenda through several strategies, including providing platforms and forums for dialogue, conducting research and surveys, and providing information and guidelines on legal and policy reforms. Sound advocacy should flow from solid and accurate empirically grounded information on thematic areas such as protection, provision of resources, services, or outcomes, and participation of children.

CONCEPT NOTE DEVELOPMENT

INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT AND VETTING

TRAINING, DATA COLLECTION AND SUPERVISION OF THE FIELD DATA COLLECTION

ANALYSIS AND REPORT PREPARATION

QUALITY CONTROL MECHANISMS

VALIDATION OF THE REPORT BY CSOS AND

A HIGH LEVEL OF TECHNICAL EXPERTS

EAsTERn AfRiCA DElEGATEs MEETinG on CHilD RiGHTs 13

National surveys are precise but quite expensive, time consuming, costing up to 100,000 to 140, 000 US$, per country. Desk reviews of laws and policies, which requires the presence of knowledgeable partners on the ground, are less time consuming and cheaper to do, costing between 12,000 and 16,000US$ per country. Electronic online data sources are mostly free, but some are only available on subscription.

Challenges and what to look for in data collection

• Typical challenges in data collection include incomplete, out of date, and inaccurate data or even indicators.

• Disparity in use of concepts and terms across countries makes country comparisons hard. • Vulnerable groups tend to be neglected in research, and data on some child-related issues unavailable or

non-existent. • Also observed are the duplication of research efforts, and lack of data coherence among different data

sources.

Good Practices

CSOs should seek to see 80% to 90% of their recommendations as concluding observations in alternative reports. To achieve this goal, they would need to make their reports of quality—accurate, reasonable, and actionable.

CSOs can support the state reporting process by making governments aware of the AU Framework and its implications, tracking the performance of treaty obligations, and lobbying government to sustain its commitments.

Engaging with government boosts the credibility of CSOs and opens advocacy including at the AU.

Producing complementary reports needs to be an inclusive process that brings in as many stakeholders as possible.

Good reports would be hard to do when there is scarcity of primary data. For instance, the website of the Committee of Experts lacks a link from which to obtain state reports.

Given the importance of capturing children's voices, the procedure for gleaning such information would need to be clear. In Kenya's case, sampling was used to select children's clubs, after which respondents were prepared to give data.

In producing a holistic report, it would be needful to include other organizations and government ministries that are not primarily child-focused. Alternative reports are meant to be grounded, reflecting situations on ground fairly, surfacing what governments might find inconvenient to report.


Qualities of a good complementary/alternative report

• Developed out of collaboration with government and multiple stakeholder • Based on comprehensive research • Adopts holistic stance to child rights and well-being • Reflects real-life cases.• Uses Simple, clear language and is readable • Outlines the policy framework, accents the good practices, and brings out the gaps. • Does well to disaggregate children data; by gender and disability. • Is cohesive and coherent• Practical, specific and clear recommendations


3: THE CAMPAiGn foR THE UnivERsAl RATifiCATion of AnD REPoRTinG on THE ACRwC

3.1 Campaign for the Universal Ratification of and Reporting on the implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, 2013 -2015

By: Ayalew G. Legal Researcher, Secretariat for the ACERWC

The presentation amplified the outreach efforts to achieve universal ratification and respect for States Parties' fulfillment of by 2015. The initiative seeks to promote the effective implementation of the ACRWC and to advocate for the withdrawal of pending reservations. RECs would need to be engaged towards full ratification, compliance and reporting on the

ACRWC.

five specific activities will be pursued during the Campaign

• Launch of the campaign, • Promotional mission for ratification, reporting, • Collaboration with other AU bodies and UN organs, • Collaboration with CSOs, and • Capacity building and communications.

This Campaign focuses not only on ratification, but also on the implementation of the African's Children Charter. The Campaign will take place in 2 years culminating in2015, the 25thanniversary of the adoption of the (ACERWC).

There are several countries that have made little progress in ratification were Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and Lesotho. Those whose ratification is progressing well include Angola, Botswana, Chad, Sierra Leone and, Zambia. States expected to ratify the charter in 2015 are the Gambia and Swaziland. Presently, seven countries have not ratified the ACRWC: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Somalia, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Sudan and Tunisia. Currently, the committee has received initial reports from 23 countries, including South Africa, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Liberia, Mozambique, Kenya, Gabon, and Guinea.

on reservations four (4) countries have queried key provisions of the Charter as described below:

• Botswana: on Article 2 of the ACERWC, on the definition of a child;• Egypt: on Article 21 (2) regarding child marriage, 24 regarding adoption, 30 (a-e), regarding the special

treatment of children of imprisoned mothers; and on 44 which establishes the Committee's mandate to receive communications; and 45 (1) regarding the Committee conducting investigations in member states;

• Mauritania: Article 9 regarding the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion;• Sudan: On Article 10 regarding the protection of privacy, 11 (6) regarding the education of children who

become pregnant before completing their education and 21 (2) regarding child marriage.


In the matter of reports, all the remaining State Parties should submit their Initial State Party Reports by Nov 2015. By 2015, the ACRWC would write Concluding Observation to all the State Parties that have submitted their reports.

There will be need for partnership and collaboration with civil society organizations to support the Campaign. In addition, partners would help promote the Charter and activities of the Committee through their websites and mobilize the media in respective countries. The outreach campaign would include developing advocacy material and distributing child-friendly versions of the ACRWC.

3.2 status of the Campaign

Dr. Benyam Dawit -Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts for the Rights and Welfare of Children

To date, 47 states have ratified the ACRWC; and at the moment the push is for Tunisia, DRC, South Sudan, and others to ratify the treaty. The Committee hopes all AU member states will be State Parties to the Charter by 2015. On its 25th anniversary, the Commission intends to launch a handbook on implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Ahead of its 25th anniversary celebrations, the Committee is looking to popularize its work.

The Committee of Experts is seeking to create further partnership with existing national human rights institutions. Of the 29 national human rights institutions in SSA that the Committee of Experts is working with, none is in North Africa. National Human rights institutions are important because they have a direct relationship with the ACERWC and enjoy an affiliate status with the African Commission. Human rights institutions in State parties that have ratified the treaty should be encouraged for forge ties and partnership with the Committee of Experts. Fifteen African countries have proposed to revise the reporting cycle of the Charter from three to five years. This would be done to coincide with the reporting cycle of the UNCRC. In the next few years, it may be possible to synchronize the reporting cycles with that of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Yet, if State Parties were to comply fully with the reporting cycle timelines the Committee would be unable to review the reports. There is need as such to supply the committee with needed resources. Measures are being taken to explore how to meet the Committee's human and financial needs.

The Committee needs a full time outreach manager to make for the success of the campaign.

Plenary Discussions

The outreach campaign seems to be bearing fruit:• The Cabinet in Rwanda has approved Rwanda's report, which is due to be dispatched to the

ACERWC.• Burundi has a draft report and is consulting with CSOs. • The Central African Republic is keen to ratify the ACRWC.

The secretariat of the ACERWC requires extra capacity and resources to equip it to sustain its achievements. Plan International pledged to support the position of Campaign Manager. Save the Children, will also

continue working with the Committee on various activities. For the Committee, one way of bolstering the reporting mechanism is by collaborating with the other AU

organs. The Committee has asked the African Court to adjudicate on whether the ACERWC can stand before it. A successful ruling will allow the committee to bring cases against state parties before the court. Other options available to the Committee to encourage reporting would include making the Chair of the committee a full time job. Furthermore, the Committee is thinking about doing promotions of its work in various countries, using regional bodies such as SADC and ECOWAS. The Committee could also have one-on-one meetings with the country representatives (based in Addis Ababa) of those countries that are yet to ratify the Charter.


On complementary reporting, the message from the Eastern Africa regions is that failure to report implies failure to implement. The Committee is thus pressing the case for due reporting. Prompt reporting would allow countries to determine progress and performance and share lessons and good practices. After reporting, the Commission will follow up to assess how well duty bearers have performed in their obligations.

what can Civil society organizations do to promote the rights of children

• Collaborating better with governments.

• Harmonization of national and regional laws on matters affecting children. This would include setting

arrangements to deal with children in contact with or in conflict with the law.

• Extra investments given to children affairs (social protection) and the

• Setting up of a national body to oversee children's affairs, with representatives drawn from government

and csos.

• Forging and toning up networks and coalitions.

• Better engagement with the recs and other regional bodies, special rapporteurs, and even the media

would be convenient steps.

• There is need for a strong voice, a common voice on advocacy child rights. Furthermore, social

accountability initiatives would need to be enhanced. Communities need to be educated to become self-

sustainable, and evidence and facts should be made a norm.

• Need to promote the universality of children rights rather than contextualizing on rights.

• Specific actions to favour children would include setting up of specific child-run forums as well as child

rights observatory.

• Capacity building/awareness creation on child rights would be required.

• Learning—sharing and replicating best practices—are needful steps. This would include drawing

cases from regional and international cases. Learning and sharing are meant to improve programmatic

outcomes.


4: CoAliTion bUilDinG AnD nETwoRKinG

4.1 Experiences from existing networks

a) Child Rights network for Southern africa (CRnSa)

Musavengana Chibwana-Chairperson With a population of 260 million, Southern African children constitute a significant 45.5% of the

population. Yet, there have not been any policy milestones at regional level on children's rights. Despite various initiatives at regional level, such as thematic networks, there are inadequacies in ensuring timeous reporting and harmonizing of laws on children and child-friendly budgets. Other drawbacks include lack of specific protocols specific to children and fragmentation among networks.

CRNSA aims to provide a unified voice to advocate and campaign for better practices and policies. Gaps in fulfilling children's rights indicate weak and non-existent child rights frameworks. CRNSA works with national child rights network organizations and collaborates with SADC-CNGO. CRNSA engages with major regional bodies such as SADC and the Pan African parliament. Its thematic areas include networking and coordination, child rights monitoring and reporting, capacity building and strengthening, research, lobbying and advocacy, and communication and information dissemination. Some of CRNSA's main challenges include poor communication within the network and lack of a fulltime chair.

some of the key lessons learnt by CRnsA include:

• Networks should begin working at whatever point, with successes giving needed momentum to carry through.

• Networks should adjust to country settings and work with practical ambitions. • There is need to identify what is of common concern to all members, such as a regional protocol for

children.• Stakeholders are ignorant of children's rights opening advocacy opportunities.

b) The CSO FORUM

Musavengana Chibwana The Civil Society Organizations Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

(CSO Forum ACRWC) brings together CSOs from across Africa, Child Rights experts, and representatives from the African Union. Its mission is to contribute to the effective implementation and proper monitoring of the (ACRWC). The Forum is organized twice a year, typically before the meetings of the ACERWC are held. It is comparable to the NGO forums of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights and the CRC in Geneva. The CSO Forum pushes advocacy around children's rights in Africa. It has a standing slot at every ACERWC meeting.

The Forum aims to be a strong regional network focused on strengthening regional child rights coalitions. It will keep creating platforms for networking and capacity building.

successful Achievements of the Cso forum

• Enabled sharing and learning among child focused organizations • Capacity building on how to engage with acerwc. • Opened avenues of communication with acerwc, giving CSOs room for dialogue• Made recommendations to the acerwc that have been included in official acerwc session reports

and which acerwc members act on.


• Encouraged csos to contribute to the acerwc's plan of action and evaluation thereof and • Ensured cso participation in nomination of acerwc candidates. • It has also catalysed broader advocacy in the region including recommendations and communiqués

to au and acerwc and • Harmonising advocacy priorities at continental level.

c) Formation of Pan african network of Organizations working on Children (PanOC)

By: Remember Miamingi PANOC was formed in 2008 to be a continental platform to facilitate collective voices and collective

actions on the issues of children. Its mandate was broader than that of the CSO Forum on ACERWC. It was intended to replicate the Global Movement for Children albeit at the African level. It responded to the need to have a specific event targeting the ACERWC. PANOC was meant to be a loose platform to bring CSOs together at national and regional levels to deliberate on issues and make recommendations to the committee of experts based on evidence; evidence which in turn would be turned over to the African Union. PANOC is run by a loose organizing committee, which facilitates meetings and monitoring of activities and other responsibilities. During its existence, PANOC has faced an operational difficulty—on the question of whether its work was competing or complementary to that of the CSO Forum.

In the ensuing plenary discussions, delegates debated the roles played by CSOs and propounded a way forward.

Plenary Discussions If Africa is to tackle matters of concern to children's rights through strong networks, it needs to figure out why

existing networks have performed poorly. Convergence has been elusive because members tend to pursue individual goals. Networks need to organize themselves and identify common goals to work towards them in a time bound and focused manner. They need to explore how to organize themselves for superior results, adding value to government's actions on children's rights. International partners need to discard the notion of territoriality and help African CSO's deliver.

Delegates debated the case of whether the idea of creating networks was an agenda for African CSOs or international partners. The thinking was that it mattered little who was fronting the agenda provided the agenda uplifted the welfare of African children. If networks believe in the children of Africa, they should demonstrate their commitment and seek support from government and development partners. The African agenda should be that of the African child. Ideally, there should be a convergence of the priorities of African CSOs and those of development partners, such as Save the Children and Plan International.

Civic education to communities has been neglected CSOs can impact on as one of their key roles. This needs to change. CSOs need to support the ACERWC by investigating matters on the ground and writing reports, rather than merely “creating movements”. Since the Committee is strapped of resources, CSOs can help in resource mobilization.

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union receives considerable funds. If conflicts in Africa are decreasing, there is need to think long term on how to invest resources in wake of this. Children's rights need to be protected, whether in a conflict situation or a normal one. Networks need to engage respective RECs to realize the efficient allocation of resources to the Committee of Experts. Such action would empower RECs to engage effectively with the Peace and Security Council, in areas where there is conflict or where a conflict is likely to erupt. This issue needs to be an area of focus.

The wisdom of having strong networks with governments was underscored. Networks need to rethink how best to work with government.

Information sharing within the CSO Forum is weak. For example, there has not been a report from the last Forum meeting. Questions were raised on the effectiveness of the Forum in delivering on its mandate.


The management committee of the Forum is in the process of conducting an assessment of its effectiveness of the Forum. This participatory assessment would develop lessons on how to approach issues and deal with organizational challenges. The Forum needs to put in place mechanisms to make it accountable to its constituency.

The main lessons learned are that networks need to leverage the opportunity of engaging regional economic communities. Doing so would permit lobbying for additional funds towards the commission of experts and for investing in children in the various African countries.

There was confusion over the form and membership of the AMC and its relationship with the CSO Forum. As it turns out, the AMC does not engage directly with the Commission of Experts. The structural relationship, the delegates felt, needed clarity. The goal of having a coalition at regional and sub regional level seemed to have been made with the need to have an entity that speaks with one voice, a capacity that appears to have been eroded over time. Delegates also queried the representation of AMC in the Eastern African Region and questioned the goals of its activities.

On the way forward, the East Africa region needs to determine what it wants. It needs to address the lingering problem on how the East African region can organize itself to speak with one voice. It could organize itself into a loose network that strengthens the national coalition but also influences regional bodies with time-bound focused objectives. This coalition could support the development of complementary reports. CSO in the region need to move forward, augmenting national coalitions and advocate for regional bodies, respond to the difficulties of doing reports in places like South Sudan and Ethiopia.

4.2 Creating Strong networks

Dr. Tavengwa Nhongo – Africa Platform for Social Protection (APSP)

The presentation focused on the nature, principles, challenges, forms, goals, and benefits of networks. A network allows organisations to work together to achieve a common purpose. It would be formed by individuals and/or organisations who volunteer to exchange information or goods, or implement joint activities, and who organise themselves while keeping their autonomy. It can be a temporary alliance of individuals and organisations through which their resources are combined in pursuit of shared, defined, and consequential goals, hence the notion of a strategic network.

Key networking principles:• Sharing problems (constraints)/solutions• Voluntary participation• Autonomy of participating members• Defined duration – short term or long term - defining this will help establish some benchmarks.• Reciprocity/exchange or collaboration among partners.• Choosing whether to be formal or informal (to register or not), some of the unregistered

platforms are doing better than those registered – as registered ones need to come up with many requirements – office, staff, and so on.

CAsE sTUDy: THE AfRiCA PlATfoRM foR soCiAl PRoTECTion

The APSP is a network of organizations operating at national and regional levels, with a commitment to promoting and strengthening the social contract between states and citizens. Its purpose is to pitch the voice of CSO's in the Social Protection debate in Africa, a task it begun during the First


Conference of Ministers in charge of Social Development held in Namibia (2008). With regards to its formation, a conference attended by African CSO's and INGOs interested in Social Protection was held in Nairobi and it was agreed to establish a Platform. The basic structure was agreed upon and an Interim Board made up of five representatives of participating INGOs and five African CSOs. One (1) INGO offered to host the Platform. The INGO Board members stepped down after 6 months and a wholly African Board took over, and the APSP moved out of the offices of the INGO after one and a half years.

benefits of a network: Challenges of networks

• Provide the critical mass needed for advocacy at all levels;

• May lead to confusion in focus and create unfruitful competition and conflicting interests (over turf, over resources, who host it, and be plagued by the founder-member syndrome, etc).

• Facilitates the exchange of information, skills, knowledge, experiences (materials, meetings, workshops, exchanges, programmes etc);

• May be associated with huge disparities in capabilities and resources among its members.

• Reduces duplication of work and effort and provide an opportunity to link individuals/groups and organisations at different levels – big, small, etc);

• May be undermined by governance problems, such as over centralization and corruption.

• Makes it easier for people to access funding and provide support, motivation, and recognition.

• Liable to political constraints, external interference, and lack of monitoring and evaluation.

4.3 Creating Effective Partnerships towards the Promotion of Child Rights in Africa

a) Chikezie Anyanwu – Head, Plan International AU Liaison and Program Officer The objective of this presentation was to discuss what makes for an effective partnership between CSOs

and INGOs. partnership is an arrangement between parties to cooperate and to advance their mutual interests, in this

case, child rights. To be effective, a partnership would be grounded on trust and operate upon the principles of equality, mutual understanding and mutual obligations. On the monitoring role or responsibility of CSOs in promoting Child Rights, there is an unnecessary dichotomy between CSOs and INGOs. CSOs should seek the ‘best interest of the child” adopting monitoring, reporting, investigative, and litigating roles. CSOs


could engage moreover in capacity building, learning from each other on specific issues and even from the communities in which they work. The CSOs resourcing role would include identifying human resource gaps, supporting specific activities, and the like. In the promotional role, CSOs would seek to cultivate awareness on children’s rights, the Charter, among other areas.

Effectual collaboration would • Place a premium on trust, • Build capacity to manage resources and observe transparency and accountability • Clarity of obligations on children's rights, if well defined, would encourage complementary

actions. • Both csos and ingos need to have firm positions on what is in the best interests of the child. Even

so, csos and ingos may need to accept that their partnerships maybe unequal, with the latter likely to command more resources.

• Effective partnership means that ngos and csos need to listen to each other.

b) Ruth Koshal- Save the Children

INGOs can play an important role in helping networks/ coalition to settle in and discharge their duties. • setting up of administrative structures or a secretariat. • Provide technical advise who would the helps broaden their work domains e.g. link child rights

and education and child rights to risk reduction. • networks could draw from the “regional” experience of INGOs, no less explore how to work

with regional networks working with INGOs on matters like East African Child Policy. Networks could benefit moreover from lessons of vibrant CSOs in Latin America

For INGOs and networks to work fruitfully, attention would need to be paid to developing shared values and visions—such as creativity, accountability, innovation, collaboration, and ambition. To have an effective partnership, INGOs and networks would need to commit to being innovative, inspiring, and motivating. Sound negotiations between INGOs and networks would mean the parties discuss the deployment of resources, whether human or financial. Both of them need to regard capacity building as one that actually produces results. Beyond this, INGOs can help strengthen national coalitions on the ground.

The ensuing plenary discussions were on matters related to CSOs organizing themselves into entities that are more effective.

Plenary Discussions

CSOs need to have a common agenda and determine how best to realize it. To become a forum for learning and sharing and to meet the diverse interests of members, CSOs need a common purpose and a vehicle to get them there, becoming a forum for learning and sharing.

The power of inequality regarding working with CSOs needs not be an issue that defines how national CSOs work with international NGOs. Collaboration between CSOs and INGOs needs to be forged to attain shared objectives.


5: THE EAsTERn AfRiCA CHilD RiGHTs nETwoRK - MovinG foRwARD

Delegates agreed to the formation of a child rights network for civil societies in Africa. This network would need a name, objectives, clear values, and responsibilities. Dealing with governance structures would mean framing shared values and guiding principles. It would need to have sound communication mechanism clearly worked out and firmly adhered to. It would have a working group that will be inclusive and would communicate regularly. The structure of the network would be gauged every 12 months for effectiveness.

Key issue to be addressed by the network

By an overwhelming majority, the participants felt that the network needs to focus on “Implementation of regional international instruments related to children’s rights”.

The following are the processes that the Network needs to prioritize:

• Strengthen capacity of national coalitions across the region to follow up implementation issues• Campaign for a universal ratification of the charter within the region

Delegates formed a Working Group to sort the organization, constituents, roles, and plan of action. The Working Group will address the defined issues within 2 years. Its performance would be reviewed after 6 months. It will be about people who can work over and above their current jobs. Its proposals are indicative, rather than definitive. It will need a proper set of Terms of Reference, map out the strengths of different coalitions, among other tasks. The Working Group would a have a coordinator from the group and work will be done online.

In making proposals to the Working Group, the plenary called for inclusiveness with membership defined as either National or Regional Networks.

Delegates then voted on the composition and functions of the Working Group. The item of vote was that the Working Group should be composed of National Networks and create a structure for international partners and regional platforms to support it. Through a vote, the composition and functions of the Working Group received overwhelming support from all members.


Composition and functions of the working Group

Concept DetailsSuggested Way Forward The working Group agreed to consider the priority of the issues and

the time needed to achieve each issue, as well as the capacity of the group.

Following was agreed upon:

Link the process of Ratification of African Charter with implementation;

Do capacity building for the increased investments for children – strengthen national coalitions, increase knowledge, help establish formation of coalition where they do not exist;

Address issue of children affected by armed conflict by raising matter with the duty bearers, nationally, regionally, and internationally.

Approaches in addressing Issues and Processes Identified

Developing policy briefs and Communiqué

Strengthening capacity of the organizations

Audience and participation

Sharing information and existing.Functions of the Network Have a working Group composed of 10 members and led by a Co

coordinator (the performance of the Working Group to be reviewed within 6 months).

Be decentralized, its reports will be passed to the members through the Coordinator.

Communicate and report once a month; updates on the key issues will be done once a month.

Be composed of members of child rights networks in their regions.

Have two (organizations) that represent child rights.

Develop and maintain an updated list of members.

Work with regional child rights and international organizations.

Develop a TOR for the working group.

Meet once a year possibly about an event.

Composition of the Working Group

National Networks

Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association

Kenya Alliance for the Advancement of Children Rights KAACR

Burundi Child Rights Coalition

Tanzania Child Rights Forum

Rwanda coalition “UMWANA KU ISONGA”

Child Rights Institute of Sudan

South Sudan Child Rights Coalition

Regional Platforms

African Platform for Social Protection – APSP

East African Centre for Human Rights

Save the Children/Plan-EACH Rights-


6: ClosinG REMARKs

By: Ruth Koshal, Save the Children International

Ms. Koshal thanked the APSP, the presenters, and all delegates for their thoughts and contributions that made the workshop successful. She exhorted delegates to make the network the best in Africa, an inspiration to other networks, distinguished by its innovation, its creative solutions, its organizational learning—its pace setting. The network should view collaboration as a core value.

Conclusion

The workshop achieved its three primary objectives. Delegates agreed to form a loose and decentralized network. To this end, they formed a Working Group, which was tasked to do the preliminary work. Delegates identified ways in which the education sector can be augmented to benefit children. They left with a clearer sense of how they might optimize efforts to score on universal reporting and compile sound, evidence based, complementary reports. Having good working relationships with government is imperative. Moreover, good complementary reports aim to fill the weak spots in government reports, be factual and objective, and incorporate the voices of all stakeholders, including children. The workshop contained numerous lessons and insights that CSOs could use to be more effective in forming wining networks and coalitions, in developing meaningful and competent alternative reports, in policy advocacy and lobbying among other criticism, and much more.


APPEnDix 1: sTATE of CHilDREn in soUTH sUDAn

A representative from the NGO is South Sudan gave an update on how the government and CSOs were handling the matter of children amidst the fighting in the country. During the recent conflict, children were used as soldiers and many were killed. Other children were separated from their parents. UNICEF is arranging for temporary shelter and is carrying out emergency child protection. The South Sudan Government is not doing enough. The resources of South Sudan are not benefitting its children. The Ministry of Children Welfare has the lowest working budget in government. During the State Assembly, issues of children are scarcely mentioned. Moreover, there is scanty information about children. CSOs in South Sudan seem susceptible to undue influence by foreign donors, who direct their moves.


APPEnDix 2: THE AfRiCAn CoMMiTTEE of ExPERTs-A REviEw

Historically, the Committee has come a long way in discharging its mandate effectively.Since its inception in 2010, the Committee's membership has been skewed geographically, with 75% to 80% of its members drawn from Western Africa, an imbalance that has overrepresented the language, culture, and tradition of a single region. In 2010, CSOs identified competent and credible individuals creating a pool of expertise from which countries could pick suitable representatives to sit in the Committee.

For the first time in the history of the committee, the number of nominees outmatched the number of available positions (six) almost three-to-one. For the first time, likewise, the best ably qualified persons were elected to sit in the Committee.5Currently, the representation of the Committee6 is as follows:

• Chairman – Ethiopia- (exiting 2014)• Member – Algeria- (exiting 2014)• Member – South Africa (2nd Vice Chair)–(exiting 2014)• Member – Zimbabwe (Rapporteur)(exiting 2014)• Member – Tanzania (Deputy Rapporteur) – (exiting 2014)• Member – Togo7

• Member – Libya – (exiting 2014)• Member – Egypt• Member – Niger• Member – Burundi• Member – Rwanda (exiting 2014)

By the end of 2014, 7 out of the 11 members would leave the Committee, including the Chairman. The members leaving are the most experienced ones8 and have done a sterling job in revamping the Committee in terms of quality, visibility, and functionality. In July 2015, an election will be held to replace them. The person nominated by any country should be an individual dedicated to the Committee, willing to give his time. Nominations should be balanced by gender and expertise.

5 Only one person per country can sit in the committee6 South Sudan and Somali are not State Parties to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.7 This Membership is pending – to be considered by the African Union8 The remaining 5 members will need at least 5 years to go through the learning curve to appreciate child issues and another 5 years to begin implementing.

APPEnDix 3: lisT of DElEGATEs

No. Country Name Organization Email Address

1. burundi Akilimali Aboubakar

Union de Jeunes pour la Paix et le Développement

[email protected]

2. Ethiopia Sarah Guebreyes ACPF [email protected]. Chikezie

AnyanwuPlan International [email protected]

4. Tenagne Mekonnen

Childfund International

[email protected]

5 Genet Shume EWLA [email protected]. Ayalew

GatechewACRWC [email protected]

7. Kenya Phoebe Wahome CLAN [email protected]. Lavina Olouch CLAN [email protected]. Dr. Tavengwa

NhongoAPSP [email protected]

10. Edmond Odaba APSP [email protected]. Marion Ouma APSP [email protected]. Christine Okwach APSP [email protected]. Julia Prinz CLAN [email protected]. Ruth Koshal SCI [email protected]. Violet Odala SCI [email protected]. Gilbert Onyango EACH Rights [email protected]. Naomi Mwangi GCN [email protected]. Eusebio

WanyamaNGO CRC [email protected]

19. George Nyakora AMC/SOS [email protected]. Renaldah

MjombaSIDA [email protected]

21. Eloise Burke Facilitator [email protected]. Fredrick Mandi Rapporteur [email protected]. Josephine Kulea Samburu Girls

[email protected]

24. Phoene Oware EACHRights [email protected]. Juliet Gachanja CRADLE [email protected]. Uganda Stella Oyo-

Odongo AMC/UCRNN [email protected]

27. James Kidulu [email protected] and [email protected]

28. Timothy Balikenga

Save the Children [email protected]

29. Tanzania Sabas Masawe Tanzania Child Rights Forum

[email protected]

30. Mussa Kombo Mussa

TCRF – Zanzibar

31. Delphine Mugisha

MSTDC [email protected]

32. south sudan

Paulino Akuei Athian

Civil Society Child Rights Coalition

[email protected]

33. Marko Madut Garang

Civil Society Child Rights Coalition

34. Rwanda Uwihanganye Obed

AJET [email protected]

35. Mudakemwa Apolline

Hagaruka [email protected]

36. Zimbabwe Musa Chibwana CRNSA [email protected] 37. south Africa Remember

[email protected]

38. Benyam D. Mezmur

ACRWC [email protected]

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