The African continent on Tuesday celebrated the International Day of the African Child. However, due to the current coronavirus crisis, the commemoration of the event at the continental level was done through a webinar examining elements of a child-friendly justice system. Individual member states also held low-key commemorations of the event.
In a statement shared through his Twitter account, Moussa Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission, hailed the children of Africa and called for serious introspection and commitment toward addressing the numerous challenges they face in the continent.
“Every June 16, we remember the 1976 Soweto Uprising where students fought with great courage for their right to education and dignity. Today, we must continue the fight for all children to have a healthy, safe start in life, free from harm,” Mahamat said.
The webinar, organized by the African Union, brought together child advocates, policymakers and organizations working on children’s rights. The discussions dwelled on the major challenges in ensuring equal access to child-friendly justice to all groups of children in Africa and served as an experience-sharing forum where positive trends, mechanisms and structures in member states were discussed.
Kwesi Quartey, the deputy chairperson of the Africa Union Commission, said Africa’s children are Africa’s future, and the continent is obliged to invest in them if it is to achieve its development goals.
“The African Union Commission would like to stress the need to create a justice system that responds to the specific needs of children. More is required to be done to ensure the administration of justice in member states adequately responds to the rights and needs of children,” Quartey said.
In Kenya, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection held a restricted commemoration ceremony at the ministry’s head office in Nairobi with only ministry officials, selected representatives and the press in attendance.
During the ceremony, Simon Chelugui, Kenya’s Minister for Labour and Social Protection, said the day presents Africans with an opportunity to take stock of the gains and gaps in the realization of the rights and welfare of their children.
“This year’s theme emphasizes the need for children to be treated with dignity and their matters handled timely and fairly within the justice system,” Chelugui said.
“We have made great strides in ensuring our children access child-friendly justice. Nevertheless, we are still faced with challenges that frustrate our efforts towards the envisioned justice system. I therefore, call upon all of us to renew our efforts and rededicate ourselves to serve children in the justice system better,” he added.
In this regard, Chelugui said the Kenyan government is finalizing the preparation of the Children Bill 2020 and asked all stakeholders not to shy away from giving their views.
“Children’s justice, like other spheres of child welfare, requires a collaborative effort. We recognize all the non-governmental agencies that have stepped in to boost the efforts of the government,” Chelugui said.
In 1991, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government instituted the Day of the African Child in memory of the June 16, 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa.