Decision Relating to the Pan- African Forum on the Future of Children

DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL
ON THE PAN-AFRICAN FORUM ON THE

FUTURE OF CHILDREN

Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. EXPRESSES ITS GRATITUDE to the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting the Pan-African Forum on the Future of Children in Cairo, from 28 to 31 May, 2001;

3. EXPRESSES ITS APPRECIATION to, in particular, UNICEF and Save the Children (Sweden), all the UN Agencies and other stakeholders for their continued support and assistance in the preparation of the Pan-African Forum on the Future of Children;

4. WELCOMES the outcome of the Pan-African Forum, namely, the African Common Position on Children, as Africa’s contribution to the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Children to be held in New York in September, 2001;

5. MANDATES the First Lady of Egypt, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak to present the African Common Position to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Children, due to be held in New York in September 2001; and to ensure that the voices of the children of Africa are heard therein;

6. CALLS UPON all Member States to renew and implement their commitments to African children as contained in the Cairo Declaration and to participate actively, at the highest level, in the UNGASS on Children in September 2001;

7. FURTHER CALLS UPON Member States, which have not yet done so, to speed up the ratification process of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child;

8. URGES Member States to implement the provisions of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, follow­up on the decisions and recommendations of the UNGASS on Children and implement the African Common Position on Children, more specifically the Plan of Action on the Future of the African Children;

9. FURTHER CALLS UPON Member States to send periodic reports on their activities and programmes related to children issues to the Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child through the General Secretariat;

10. REQUESTS the General Secretariat to work closely with the Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in collaboration with UNICEF and other stakeholders and to report to Council every two years on the follow-up of the implementation of the recommendations of the UNGASS and the African Common Position.