Projects and countries
KiRA is involved in implementing basic rights for children and young people in Africa. Its work is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter for the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was passed on November 20th 1989. It was ratified by all states except the USA and Somalia. It is the first worldwide, cross-national treaty which deals solely with child protection. The focus is on the child as a person with fundamental rights which need protecting and not just an ‘object’ of help as has been the case until now. This holistic approach has changed the perception and status of the child and has led to new, rights-based work on the protection of children and young people.
The African Charter for the Rights and Welfare of the Child considers regional, cultural and social aspects particular to Africa. This charter was agreed by the Conference of the Heads of State and Government on July 11th 1990. It came into effect in November 1999 and has been ratified by 45 states since then. It grants children the same rights as the CRC but at the same time highlights their duties.
Despite much progress, the rights established in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter are only respected to an unsatisfactory degree in most African countries. There is often a lack of awareness of the effects of this convention on the African states for which is it imposed. There is also a lack of proficiency on how it should be implemented in practice to protect these basic, universal children’s rights.
