Thursday 16th June is the 21st Day of the African Child - 'All together for urgent actions in favour of street children'

The Consortium for Street Children celebrates the Day of the African Child

On the 21st African Day of the Child,international charity the Consortium for Street Children (CSC), welcomes thechoice of this year’s theme ‘All togetherfor urgent actions in favour of street children’.

The African Committee for the Rights and Welfare of theChild (ACERWC), who are organising the day on 16th June, have calledfor each African nation to produce a comprehensive report on street children intheir country and commemorate the day.

2011 has seen the issue of street children move up theinternational policy agenda:

• In March The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) dedicated a day to specifically discuss street children and unanimously adopted a resolution on street children’s rights – the first since 1994*.
• In April the International Day for Street Children was launched – celebrated in over 33 locations worldwide by street children, policy makers (including the UN), NGOs, corporates, schools and celebrities.

CSC is the leading international network dedicated to therights of street children worldwide. Since 1993 the charity has worked to givestreet children a voice and ensure that their rights and needs aredistinguished, but not isolated, from other children in international policydebates and strategies.

Sally Shire, Chief Executive of CSC said:

“Street children are some of the most resourceful in theworld, yet their rights are continually violated and denied – often at thehands of those that are tasked to protect them. ACERWC’s decision to devotethis year’s Day of the African Child to street children is a welcome additionto a year of tremendous milestones for street children’s rights. Hopefully themounting pressure placed on governments will encourage them to make understandingand fulfilling the rights of street children a priority.”

As part of the day CSC is making a number ofrecommendations to the ACERWC including:

• Recognising the International Day for Street Children and using its mandate to urge State Parties to do the same
• Ensuring State Parties act on the recommendations in the African Day assessment report
• Committing to revisit the issue of street children in 3-5 years to assess overall progress

The full set of recommendations can be seen here:

*A/HRC/RES/16/12

Formore information contact:

Laura Burnell, Communications Manager at CSC.

laura@streetchildren.org.uk

·        The Day of theAfrican Child is a yearly commemoration of the children killed in Soweto in1976 who were fighting merely for the right to a racism-free education.

·        The Consortium forStreet Children (CSC) is the leading international network dedicated to therights of street children[1] worldwide. Through our 60members operating in over 130 countries worldwide, we are Louder Together. CSCwelcomes and supports the Committee’s decision to dedicate the 2011 Day of theAfrican Child to street children.

[1] CSC defines street children as childrenat risk of going onto the streets, children who work on the street, andchildren who live and work on the streets.