Decision on the African Union Campaign on Ending Child Marriage in Africa – Doc. Assembly/AU/24(XXXII)

DECISION ON THE AFRICAN UNION CAMPAIGN ON
ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN AFRICA

Doc. Assembly/AU/24(XXXII)

The Assembly,

1. TAKES NOTE, WITH APPRECIATION, of the Report of H.E. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia and Leader of Combating Early Marriage of Young Girls in Africa and the recommendations contained therein; and DECIDES to change the above title to Leaders of Ending Child Marriage in Africa;

2. COMMENDS Member States that have launched, nationally, the AU Campaign on Ending Child Marriage as well as those that have costed national strategies and action plans towards ending child marriage and CALLS UPON other Member States which are yet to launch and implement the campaign to do so;

3. RECOGNIZES that child marriage is a complex issue which adversely impacts the personal development and future opportunities, health and wellbeing of children, with detrimental consequences on children, women, families, communities and affects a nation’s sustainable development;

4. ALSO RECOGNIZES that all children, both girls and boys, have fundamental human rights, especially the rights to non-discrimination, survival, development, education, health and welfare, and freedom to take advantage of opportunities available in harnessing their potential, and that child marriage is a serious violation of these rights;

5. REAFFIRMS our commitment towards the Implementation of the Common African Position on Ending Child Marriage in Africa and recommendations of the 1^st African Girls Summit held in Lusaka, Zambia in November 2015, and all the recommendations from the 2^nd African Girls Summit on Ending Child Marriage held in Accra, Ghana in November 2018;

6. RECOMMITS to keeping the fight to end child marriage in Africa, on national, regional and continental agendas; and ensuring accountability for results and targets to be reported back to the AU Assembly annually;

7. FURTHER RECOMMITS to take concrete actions to end child marriage in all its forms and manifestations, with firm commitment to article 21(2) of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child;

8. REQUESTS a comprehensive report on the progress of Ending Child Marriage in Africa to be submitted through the reporting channels of the Policy Organs.