Cape Town – A charter to elevate the urgency of addressing child violence and trauma in Africa is expected to be developed by conference partners and delegates at the African Regional Child Trauma Conference this week.
Hosted in Cape Town until Wednesday, the conference takes place in a landmark year marking the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The conference will focus specifically on African routes to prevent and respond to child abuse, violence and neglect, a pertinent topic considering that, by 2050, the UN Children’s Fund predicts Africa will be home to 40% of the world’s children.
Organisers said Africa has the highest child dependency ratio in the world, and life expectancy for African children has risen but is still shorter than the global average.
Three in 10 children on the continent are living in fragile and conflict-affected environments (Unicef 2014) and this has a major influence on the death rate of African children, organisers said.
“Protecting Africa’s children from all forms of violence, as well as providing therapeutic services to those who have experienced trauma, should be a major priority of every government in Africa.
"The ‘Leaving No Child Behind’ charter is being developed with the intent of elevating the urgency of addressing child violence and trauma on the African continent. This charter is anticipated to be signed by the conference partners during the closing ceremony of the conference on August 21,” organisers said.
It is envisioned that the charter will result in measures that will prevent, and ultimately end, child trauma in Africa.
“To achieve this, it is designed to work towards ensuring international recognition of child trauma in Africa, and to support the realisation of:
1. At a global level: the sustainable development goals which pinpoint ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking, torture and all forms of violence against children by 2030.
2. At a continental level: the African Union’s Children’s Charter, Agenda 2063, and their aspirations containing goals around the rights of children and their welfare.
"The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child - Agenda 2040: fostering an Africa fit for children. It is intended that this charter will align with and support other regional partnerships and forums such as the African Partnerships to End Violence Against Children and the African Child Policy Forum.”