The First African Forum for the Child Parliament Adopts the Rabat Declaration to Promote Children's Participation in the Continent's Development.
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The first African Forum for Children's Parliaments, which lasted for two days, concluded its work on Saturday, adopting the "Rabat Declaration on the Participation of Children in the Development of Africa," in a historic step towards strengthening children's rights and their effective involvement in shaping development policies at the continental level. The participants in the forum, child parliamentarians from various African countries, unanimously adopted the declaration, welcoming the initiative to establish the "African Network for Child Rights" as a continental platform to promote dialogue and effective participation of children, and to defend their rights and well-being. The declaration also noted the support of the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child in Morocco, which hosted the headquarters of the network and covered its operating expenses, stressing that the network will be an African non-governmental organization with legal status, working in coordination with partner African institutions, in accordance with the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and relevant regional and international instruments. The declaration encouraged the establishment and development of children's parliaments in African countries, and the involvement of children in monitoring public policies and regional and international commitments, in addition to supporting the specialized UN development agencies to accompany national efforts to enhance the role of children in development. The child parliamentarians affirmed their determination to launch joint initiatives to promote advocacy at the international level, participate in global events related to children's rights, and work to consolidate partnerships with regional and international actors in a way that serves the objectives of the network and increases its impact. They also praised the vision of King Mohammed VI to promote an Africa that enjoys peace, stability and sustainable development, based on effective solidarity and South-South cooperation, which places young people at the heart of development initiatives. They also expressed their appreciation to Princess Lalla Meryem, President of the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child, for her continuous efforts in protecting and promoting children's rights through concrete and sustainable initiatives. The declaration concluded by emphasizing the importance of coordinated African action to promote children's rights, including participation and the physical, psychological and social well-being of children, in accordance with the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and relevant international and regional instruments.
