Advantages and Disadvantages of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

Anna Dąbrowska

Abstract


Africa is the only region in which a multilateral international agreement has been created to protect children’s rights – the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). Its objective is to provide an African framework for protection and promotion of children’s rights in Africa. The treaty has not emerged out of a legal vacuum. It has been preceded by a number of international documents of universal and regional nature, namely, declarations and conventions regarding children’s rights. Interpreting the successive provisions of ACRWC, a catalogue of children’s rights closely related to the regional culture, its strengths and weaknesses can be identified. The Charter’s advantages certainly include matching of the treaty to realities of the African continent and a comprehensive approach to protection of children’s rights covering all their categories. Absence of definitions for terms contained in its particular provisions is a drawback.


Keywords


African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; ACRWC; declaration; convention; children’s rights

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/g.2020.67.2.89-109
Date of publication: 2021-02-05 15:03:20
Date of submission: 2020-08-24 09:18:06


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