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| African Youth Charter | |
|---|---|
| Name | African Youth Charter |
| Date signed | 2 July 2006 |
| Location signed | Banjul |
| Date effective | 8 August 2009 |
| Condition effective | "15 ratifications" |
| Signatories | "African Union member states" |
| Parties | "States Parties to the Charter" |
| Depositor | African Union Commission |
| Languages | "Arabic, English, French, Portuguese" |
African Youth Charter The African Youth Charter is a regional legal instrument adopted to address the rights, participation, and welfare of young people across Africa. It sets normative standards for youth policy among members of the African Union and links to regional processes such as the African Union Youth Decade and continental development agendas like the Agenda 2063. The Charter emerged from continental deliberations involving bodies such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and civil society coalitions including the African Youth Commission (Kenya) and the Pan African Youth Union.
Negotiations leading to the Charter drew on prior instruments including the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Maputo Protocol, and resolutions from the Organization of African Unity transition to the African Union. Drafting processes involved intergovernmental meetings in Banjul and consultations with networks such as the Commonwealth Youth Council and the African Network of Youth Ministries. The Charter was adopted at the Third Conference of African Ministers responsible for Youth and opened for signature during an African Union summit; it entered into force following the required ratifications and deposit with the African Union Commission.
The Charter articulates objectives that align with continental frameworks like Agenda 2063 and the New Partnership for Africa's Development. It emphasizes principles drawn from instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, while reflecting priorities from the World Programme of Action for Youth. Core principles include promotion of youth participation in institutions such as national parliaments and regional mechanisms like the African Peer Review Mechanism, protection of youth rights as those enshrined by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, and promotion of youth employment initiatives linked to programs of the African Development Bank.
The Charter enumerates rights that intersect with instruments like the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. It recognizes youth rights to political participation in bodies such as national electoral commissions and access to justice through regional mechanisms including the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. Rights to health reference campaigns led by entities like the World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, while rights to work relate to initiatives from the International Labour Organization and financing from the African Development Bank. The Charter also outlines responsibilities drawing on precedents from the African Peer Review Mechanism and civil society codes promoted by organizations such as United Nations Volunteers and the Global Fund.
Implementation mechanisms involve coordination between the African Union Commission and regional economic communities including the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community. Monitoring draws on reporting to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and evaluations by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in overlapping areas. Civil society participation in monitoring has been facilitated by networks like the Pan African Youth Movement and the African Youth Charter Taskforce, while technical support has been provided by agencies including the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Children's Fund.
The Charter has influenced national policies in states such as Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, and Rwanda through youth strategies that align with projects financed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank. It has been cited in legislative reforms and in programs driven by the European Union and the United Nations Population Fund. Critics point to gaps highlighted by reports from the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Open Society Foundations, and Human Rights Watch concerning implementation shortfalls, inconsistent ratification, and limited budgeting by national ministries such as youth ministries in several capitals. Further critique has addressed overlap with instruments like the Maputo Protocol and the need for clearer enforcement via mechanisms such as the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and enhanced civil society litigation exemplified by cases brought before regional bodies.
Ratification status has varied across the continent, with early ratifiers including Benin, Swaziland (now Eswatini), and Senegal, and later accessions by states such as Ethiopia and Uganda. Some member states of the African Union have not completed ratification or domestication, prompting advocacy from organizations like the Pan African Youth Union, the Commonwealth Youth Council, and the African Youth Forum. The African Union Assembly and the African Union Commission continue to encourage ratification through continental meetings such as the AU Summit and technical workshops organized with partners like the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the European Union Delegation to the African Union.
Category:African Union treaties Category:Youth rights Category:Human rights instruments