African Child Policy Forum and Leiden's Child Law department join forces to advance children’s rights in Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Leiden, Netherlands – Leiden Law School's Child Law department has formally entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF), a leading pan-African child rights advocacy organisation. This partnership aims to bolster efforts to advance children’s rights across the African continent.
Professor Ton Liefaard, Head of Leiden Law School's Child Law department, expressed his enthusiasm over the partnership, ‘We're delighted to formalise our long-standing relationship with ACPF. In joining forces, we can make a tangible difference to the lives of children across Africa, working to ensure their rights are upheld and protected in their everyday lives.’
The Memorandum enumerates various areas of collaboration, including:
- Research and Advocacy – Undertaking joint research on children’s rights issues in Africa and advocating children’s rights on a national, regional and international level.
- Capacity Building – Creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and cross-cultural partnerships between Europe and Africa, such as study trips, academic-civil society dialogue and student internships.
- Policy Development – Developing a collaborative research-policy agenda to forge a stronger research-to-policy pathway to advance children’s rights and well-being in Africa.
Dr Joan Nyanyuki, Executive Director of the African Child Policy Forum, welcomed the formal agreement: ‘Our partnership with Leiden Law School's Child Law department marks an historic moment for our organisation. It brings together African civil society and European research institutions in order to enhance collective awareness and efforts to protect and advance children’s rights in Africa. Together, we're in a better position to tackle the complex challenges facing African children today.’
The Memorandum of Understanding will be implemented over a period of five years with the aim of establishing a long-term partnership across continents.
Professor Ann Skelton, Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and Director of the Advanced LL.M. in International Children’s Rights Law, praised the collaboration: ‘By signing this MoU, we pledge to work together towards a common goal: to promote and protect the children's human rights =so that no African child is left behind.’
