A child./ PHOTO ; Pexel
One year after the inaugural Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Bogotá, African leaders and child-protection advocates have renewed their resolve to combat all forms of violence affecting the continent’s youngest and most vulnerable.
For three days, ministers, UN agencies, civil society organisations, youth networks, and development partners convened under the ARISE Africa platform, in a meeting hosted by WHO Africa, UNICEF, and allied partners.
The gathering served as a continental check-in point: an opportunity to assess progress made since Bogotá, confront persistent gaps, and collectively shape a stronger, more coordinated agenda for safeguarding children.
The urgency of the discussions was clear. Across Africa, an estimated 205 million children face violence every year, including physical abuse, emotional harm, sexual exploitation, and neglect.
Despite this enormous burden, child protection remains chronically underfunded.
In many countries, less than 0.2% of national budgets is allocated to protecting children, leaving social welfare systems overstretched and frontline responders without the resources they need.
To confront these challenges, delegates endorsed a new continental roadmap designed to accelerate national and regional commitments.
The roadmap urges countries to establish fully functional, government-led child protection systems underpinned by strong legal and policy frameworks.
It also calls for significant increases in domestic financing, ensuring that child protection is treated not as a peripheral social issue but as a core national priority.
Importantly, the framework aligns these efforts with major continental instruments such as the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Agenda 2040, and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Throughout the convening, speakers emphasized that protecting children requires close coordination across multiple sectors, including health, education, justice, policing, and social welfare.
Effective prevention and response systems cannot operate in isolation; they rely on shared data, harmonised policies, and collaboration from the national to the community level.
Delegates therefore championed measures to strengthen data collection and evidence-driven monitoring, noting that many cases of violence remain invisible due to weak reporting systems.
They also highlighted the importance of expanding community-based initiatives, especially those led by young people, families, and local leaders, who are often the first to identify risks and intervene.
Dr. Francis Chisaka Kasolo, WHO Representative (a.i.) to Ethiopia and Director of WHO’s liaison office to the African Union and UNECA, reminded participants that progress depends on long-term commitment.
“Protecting Africa’s children demands more than promises; it requires action,” she said, stressing that sustainable financing, innovation, and robust partnerships will determine whether policy commitments lead to tangible improvements in children’s lives.
The adoption of the ARISE Africa outcome document marks a significant shift from declarations to implementation.
While many countries have made public pledges, the convening underscored that genuine progress will be measured by the strength of national systems, the safety of communities, and the lived experiences of children themselves.
