African Child Rights Marshal seeks stronger grassroots child protection across Africa

The African Child Rights Marshal (ACRM), a proposed pan-African child-rights education and community protection initiative, is seeking to establish a coordinated grassroots network to strengthen the protection and welfare of children across Africa.

The initiative, which is anchored in the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), seeks to mobilise professionals, intellectuals, child-rights advocates, community leaders and other stakeholders across the continent.

It envisages a structured system extending from continental leadership through regional and national commands to sub-national and community levels, with Community Child Protection Officers expected to support child-rights education, prevention, awareness creation, identification of protection concerns and appropriate referral.

The initiative says the proposed structure is intended to complement existing government and statutory child-protection systems rather than replace them.

According to ACRM, children across Africa continue to face threats including violence and abuse, child trafficking, child labour, child marriage, sexual exploitation, gender-based violence, neglect, harmful traditional practices, school dropout, substance abuse, illegal migration, discrimination, poverty and social exclusion.

It said many of those challenges occurred within households and communities, requiring stronger community-level prevention, education and early identification mechanisms.

The ACRM’s approach is based on seven key areas: prevention, protection, identification, referral, advocacy, participation and empowerment.

It seeks to educate children, parents, teachers, community leaders, religious leaders and the wider public on children’s rights and the responsibilities of adults as duty bearers.

The initiative also proposes the development of a Child Rights and Moral Ethics Curriculum for primary, junior secondary, senior secondary and tertiary institutions, with plans to promote its accessibility through translations into major African languages.

It further envisages the establishment of African Child Rights Marshal Students Clubs in schools and appropriate community settings to promote child-rights education, leadership, responsible citizenship, peer education, anti-bullying awareness, drug-abuse prevention and child participation.

The initiative’s proposed community protection officers would also support community mobilisation and help families and communities understand their responsibilities towards children.

ACRM, however, emphasises that its personnel would not automatically be police officers, military personnel, judicial officers or law-enforcement officers.

It said an ACRM appointment or rank would not confer powers of arrest, detention, investigation or prosecution.

Suspected criminal conduct or serious child-protection concerns would instead be referred to the appropriate legally authorised government agencies or professional institutions in accordance with the laws of the respective countries.

The proposed organisational structure comprises Continental Leadership, Regional Commands, National Commands, State or Provincial Commands, Local Government or District Commands and Community Commands.

The West African Regional Command is expected to coordinate the initiative’s development across the sub-region, including supporting national leadership, training, communication, safeguarding, partnerships, monitoring and reporting.

Each participating country is expected to establish a National Command headed by a National Commandant, with sub-national structures adapted to the administrative and legal systems of individual countries.

ACRM also proposes programmes in sports and talent development, vocational and entrepreneurship training, youth empowerment, media advocacy and public education on child rights and drug-harm prevention.

The initiative says such programmes would be implemented in accordance with child-safeguarding requirements and applicable national laws.

It is also calling for collaboration with governments, child-protection agencies, civil society organisations, schools, universities, traditional and religious authorities, professional bodies, development partners, media organisations, health institutions, social workers, legal professionals, youth organisations and other stakeholders.

ACRM says its long-term objective is to establish an active, accountable and sustainable presence across Africa’s 54 countries, while ensuring that its structures are based on competence, integrity, safeguarding and service.

It has adopted the guiding principle: “A Title Is Not Authority. Service Is Responsibility.”

The initiative says the principle is intended to ensure that its ranks and appointments are not used to intimidate, threaten, exploit, harass or unlawfully interfere with members of the public.

Its core commitment is: “No Child Should Be Left Behind. No Child Should Be Abused. No Child Should Be Exploited. No Child Should Be Silenced.”

ACRM says its broader philosophy is to educate, prevent, protect, empower, advocate and transform, with the ultimate objective of contributing to safer, more inclusive and child-friendly communities across Africa.