June 9th (National Council), May 12, 2024 (SPS) - The National Council held a public session on Saturday, chaired by the member of the National Secretariat and President of the National Council, Mr. Hama Salama. The session was dedicated to discussing the draft law ratifying the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child as part of the activities of the spring session.
The discussion by the National Council of the contents of the draft law is based on the principles and foundations expressed in the preamble of the Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic regarding the respect for human rights and the embodiment of the Sahrawi state's commitment, as stated in Article 39 of the Constitution, to protect motherhood and childhood. It is also a response to the efforts of the African Union and its member states to ratify and join African agreements, treaties, and charters.
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child was adopted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the Organization of African Unity (the African Union) in July 1990. It came into force in November 1999 and is considered the first regional document on the rights of the child.
The Charter, which was discussed by the members of the National Council, consists of 48 articles divided into two parts: Part I (31 articles) addresses the rights, freedoms, and duties of the child, and Part II (18 articles) addresses the state's commitment to take legislative and other measures to ensure the implementation of the Charter.
The Charter was partially created to complement the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as due to the limited representation of African countries in the formulation of the Convention and the need felt by many to have another agreement that addresses the situation of children in Africa.
The National Council continues its spring session by reviewing a series of laws and international agreements.
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