Preventing and Responding to Violence against Children in All Care Settings in Africa: A Call to Action

Inter-Agency Group

Resulting from the June 2017 Africa Expert Consultation on Violence against Children in All Care Settings and adopted by all participants of the meeting, this Declaration calls upon leaders at national, sub-regional, pan-African and global levels for further action to fulfill their obligation to protect children against violence in all care settings, with emphasis on alternative care. 

Preventing and Responding to Violence against Children in All Care Settings in Africa (the Declaration) states the participants' concern over the level of violence and abuse experienced by children in Africa at the hands of their caregivers and emphasizes the increased risk of violence for children living in alternative care. While the Declaration acknowledges the current efforts to address the challenges presented by violence across the continent, the participants express concern over the inadequate level of regulation, enforcement and monitoring of alternative care, the continued gaps in the evidence on violence against children in all care settings, and the lack of evidence-based interventions to prevent and respond to violence against children and young people in those settings. The Declaration provides specific recommendations for actors at various levels to fulfill their obligations to protect children in all care settings and finishes with a statement of collective commitment to contribute toward the elimination of violence against children in family care, alternative care and after care. 

For more information about the Africa Expert Consultation or to read the report, presentations or media regarding the event, please click here

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