Proposal to establish an East African Child Rights Commission

Plans are underway to establish a regional mechanism for child protection in the East African region – comprising of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

ANPPCAN, working in collaboration with Plan International and other stakeholders have initiated a series of activities which will culminate in the setting up of an East African Child Rights Commission.

Already, a study on the Feasibility Study on the Viability of a Regional Mechanism to Respond to Child Rights Violations in the East Africa Region was conducted in 2010. The findings of the study were validated in a regional forum attended by senior officials from government departments of the five member states, legal bodies and civil society organization on child rights in January 2011

The study concluded that a regional mechanism is feasible.

Seventy (70%) of the respondents in the feasibility study were in favour of establishing a regional body for the protection of children’s rights in East Africa. The respondents were of the view that the existing mechanisms, namely, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) were too high up (too far away from life of children in East Africa) and have not made any meaningful impact.

Concerns have been raised of the growing impunity in violations against children, coupled with a lack of an accountability system within the East African region. While the member states have been subject to the UNCRC and ACRWC reporting processes, there lacks a mechanism for harmonization of child rights standards across the region. Follow up on the implementation of the recommendations of the various continental and global processes and reporting mechanisms have also been lacking.

A report of the feasibility study on the viability of a regional Mechanism for child protection in the Eastern African Region can be found at ANPPCAN Regional Office.