Background

Article 3.2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 asserts, 
“State Parties undertake to ensure the child such protection and care as is necessary for his or her well-being, taking into account the rights and duties of his or her parents, legal guardians, or other individuals legally responsible for him or her, and, to this end, shall take all appropriate legislative and administrative measures” (OHCHR, 1989). In that regard, UNICEF has identified three major potential secondary impacts on minors (children aged 17 and under) and their caregivers in terms of child protection, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic: i) neglect and lack of parental care; ii) mental health and psychosocial distress; and iii) increased exposure to violence, including sexual violence, physical and emotional abuse.  Afrikan minors are more vulnerable to breaches of international human rights norms, as poverty rates have risen from 10% to 20% in some African Union (AU) countries. For example, reports allege the pandemic has disproportionately fuelled increased incidences of Afrikan child labour and child marriages as a result of poverty; and according to the Global March Against Child Labour, 92 million African minors were engaged in child labour in 2021. This written submission highlights these breaches of the Convention, in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with reference to the Abidjan Principles on the Right to Education 2019, for good practice and recommendations.