The 1st African Child Parliament Forum adopted, by acclamation, the “Rabat Declaration on Children’s Participation in Africa’s Development”.
In the Rabat Declaration, adopted by acclamation on Saturday at the close of the Forum, held November 21-22,
representatives of government institutions and non-governmental organizations from African countries welcomed the creation of the African Network for Child Rights as a continental platform for advocacy, dialogue, and the effective participation of African children in promoting their well-being and development.
“We welcome the proposal of Morocco’s National Observatory for the Rights of the Child (ONDE) to host the headquarters of the African Network for Child Rights and to cover its operational running costs,” the Declaration states.
Participants affirmed their commitment to ensuring that this Network becomes a continental African non-governmental cooperation structure endowed with legal status and operating in coordination with partner African institutions, in line with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant regional and international instruments.
They also paid tribute to the vision of King Mohammed VI for advancing a peaceful, stable and sustainably developing Africa, grounded in active solidarity, South-South cooperation, and the central role of youth in all development initiatives.
Participants further expressed their deep gratitude to Princess Lalla Meryem, President of ONDE, for her unwavering commitment to protecting and promoting children’s rights through concrete, sustainable actions adapted to contemporary challenges.
In the Declaration, participants encourage the establishment and development of child parliaments throughout African countries, ensuring that children are involved in monitoring public policies and implementing regional and international commitments.
They also called upon development partners, including relevant United Nations development agencies, to support African countries’ national efforts aimed at promoting the role of children in development and establishing child parliaments tailored to each country’s specific context.
Moreover, they reaffirmed their determination to develop complementary joint initiatives to advance advocacy at the international level through activities and participation in regional, continental and international events related to children’s rights, fostering appropriate partnerships with other regional and international actors to accelerate the development of the African Network of the Child Parliament and its members.
Recognizing the fraternal relations and bonds of cooperation and solidarity between Morocco and brotherly African countries, participants reiterated their collective commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those relating to health, education, equal opportunities for children, and the fight against climate change.
They also acknowledged the need for concrete, coordinated continental African action to promote children’s rights as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international and regional instruments, especially their rights to participation and to physical, mental and social well-being.
Commending Morocco for the successful organization of the 1st African Child Parliament Forum, held under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI and under the effective presidency of Princess Lalla Meryem, participants pledged to foster dialogue, exchange experiences, and build a shared African vision to advance the participation of African children in development processes, in accordance with Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
