Africa is the only continent with a region-specific child rights instrument. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) is an important tool for advancing children’s rights. While building on the same basic principles as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the AU Children’s Charter highlights issues of special importance in the African context.

As of January 2017, all member states of the AU have signed the Children’s Charter and all save for 7 have ratified it.

The 7 member states which have not yet ratified the Charter are: Democratic Republic of Congo, Morroco, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Somalia, Sao Tome and Principe, South Sudan and Tunisia.