Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Honorable Members of the Committee, State Party representatives, civil society organizations:
Human Rights Watch is honored to address the African Committee of Experts at its 45th Ordinary Session, and join it in celebrating 35 years since the adoption of the African Children's Charter.
Chairperson, scores of children face widespread and often targeted violence and grave violations in conflicts, including by government armed forces and nonstate armed groups, across the continent, including in Ethiopia, Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and northern Mozambique. We reiterate our call for the African Committee in its review of states parties to urgently prioritize the protection of children in armed conflict by strengthening monitoring and reporting mechanisms, holding perpetrators accountable, and ensuring that child-focused responses are central in all peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts. We urge the Committee to engage with member states and regional bodies to implement concrete, time-bound actions that uphold the rights of every child affected by conflict.
Chairperson, at least six million girls who are pregnant or parenting were estimated to be out of school in 2024. UNICEF estimates that less than 5 percent of girls return to school after pregnancy. The reality for many pregnant and parenting girls across Africa, who face education loss as well as widespread discrimination and exclusion, demonstrates the urgent need to address the implementation gap between states parties' obligations under the African human rights treaties, and the actions and measures that many African governments take that hinder the right to education. Human Rights Watch urges the African Committee to develop and adopt an African human rights framework on the right to education of pregnant girls and adolescent mothers, and look forward to presenting our concrete proposals during this session.
Many adolescent girls also face obstetric violence, which includes a range of abusive practices at ante-natal, intra-partum and post-natal stages, as well as the denial of reproductive health services to girls who want to avoid pregnancies. We encourage the Committee to request that states parties provide data and information on measures put in place to prevent and address obstetric violence against girls, including effective remedies for survivors and families.
Finally, Chairperson, Human Rights Watch would like to convey our commitment to advancing the African Union's Year for Reparations for Africans and the People of African Descent. We believe that this initiative presents a vital opportunity to address historical injustices and foster a more equitable future for children in Africa. We look forward to an alignment of the Committee's annual theme with that of the AU, not only to strengthen coordination but also to ensure that policies are more tailored and effectively implemented. Most importantly, these efforts hold the promise of a transformative impact for children in Africa - ensuring their right to dignity, justice, and a future defined not by the legacy of the past, but by opportunity, empowerment, and hope.
I thank you for your attention.
