In the 20 years since the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted, all West African countries have ratified it. But ratification has not translated into better living conditions for some of the region’s children, according to the UN. Education, food, employment, shelter and freedom from war conscription and trafficking are not guaranteed; where laws to protect children against hate and violence exist, they are only sporadically enforced, according to child rights NGOs.
But if children had a dedicated watchdog group, selected by the government, things could be different, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Establishing independent ombudsmen [children’s human rights organizations] would be a major leap forward in safeguarding children and putting children at the centre of the policy agenda,” said UNICEF child protection adviser in West Africa Joachim Theis.
There are currently two countries with human rights offices for children, according to Shirin Aumeeruddy Cziffra, the children’s “ombudsman” from Mauritius. “Governments may not always be happy with us,” she told IRIN. “But ultimately we [ombudsmen] are able to improve laws because we are there reminding governments, ‘what about your children?’”
UNICEF this week convened government officials and child rights leaders from Mali, Senegal and Burkina Faso for a two-day seminar in Bamako, Mali, on creating independent institutions to promote children’s rights.
Mauritius ombudsman Cziffra said in the five years she has served as a full-time child advocate she has been involved with 2,000 investigations, which she mediated or turned over to police. One recent case was that of a school inspector accused of paedophilia. “He [allegedly] slept with young boys. We gathered images, called parents and referred the case to the police.”
When asked how her job is different from that of social workers, children’s ministry officials or local non-profits, Cziffra told IRIN her office can issue summons for investigations, gather evidence, access top government officials, influence policymaking and command respect as the government appoints the children’s ombudsman.
But she said such an ombudsman cannot be effective where the rule of law is weak or non-existent. “This cannot work if there is impunity. We need to have rule of law.”
Even when there is government support and a functioning judiciary system the job is “enormous” for one person, she added. “In Mali, Senegal and Burkina Faso, the work will be more demanding [than in Mauritius] because of the size of the population and remote populations.”
The Republic of Mauritius is an island cluster with an estimated population of 1.3 million (2006) verses Mali, Senegal and Burkina Faso, which each had at least 10 times more residents in 2006.
Issues awaiting any new ombudsmen named in those countries include creating birth certificates for millions of undocumented people, mostly women and children, boosting some of the world’s lowest literacy rates and fighting sexual violence in schools.
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But if children had a dedicated watchdog group, selected by the government, things could be different, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Establishing independent ombudsmen [children’s human rights organizations] would be a major leap forward in safeguarding children and putting children at the centre of the policy agenda,” said UNICEF child protection adviser in West Africa Joachim Theis.
There are currently two countries with human rights offices for children, according to Shirin Aumeeruddy Cziffra, the children’s “ombudsman” from Mauritius. “Governments may not always be happy with us,” she told IRIN. “But ultimately we [ombudsmen] are able to improve laws because we are there reminding governments, ‘what about your children?’”
UNICEF this week convened government officials and child rights leaders from Mali, Senegal and Burkina Faso for a two-day seminar in Bamako, Mali, on creating independent institutions to promote children’s rights.
Mauritius ombudsman Cziffra said in the five years she has served as a full-time child advocate she has been involved with 2,000 investigations, which she mediated or turned over to police. One recent case was that of a school inspector accused of paedophilia. “He [allegedly] slept with young boys. We gathered images, called parents and referred the case to the police.”
When asked how her job is different from that of social workers, children’s ministry officials or local non-profits, Cziffra told IRIN her office can issue summons for investigations, gather evidence, access top government officials, influence policymaking and command respect as the government appoints the children’s ombudsman.
| Could it work here? |
 GUINEA: Fighting impunity with impunity |
| SOMALIA: No one left to tell the story |
| TOGO: Anti-trafficking law alters routes, not flow |
| MAURITANIA: Rape victims seek justice, find jail |
Even when there is government support and a functioning judiciary system the job is “enormous” for one person, she added. “In Mali, Senegal and Burkina Faso, the work will be more demanding [than in Mauritius] because of the size of the population and remote populations.”
The Republic of Mauritius is an island cluster with an estimated population of 1.3 million (2006) verses Mali, Senegal and Burkina Faso, which each had at least 10 times more residents in 2006.
Issues awaiting any new ombudsmen named in those countries include creating birth certificates for millions of undocumented people, mostly women and children, boosting some of the world’s lowest literacy rates and fighting sexual violence in schools.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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