• Child Wellbeing

The convention on the rights of the child (CRC) has been ratified in Africa except in Somalia. The majority of African countries have also ratified the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.  Ratification entails the obligation of the states parties to report periodically on the progressive realisation of the rights of the child.  Almost all countries in Africa are late with this reporting, sometimes more than 10 years late. One reason for these delays is the lack of data and information on the situation of children in most African countries.

Increasingly, countries in Africa are establishing national human rights institutions (NHRIs), including national human rights commissions and ombudspersons. With the support from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), other UN agencies, bilaterals, private foundations and NGOs, these national human rights institutions contribute to a greater awareness of human rights and increased capacities to monitor and report on the progressive realisation of children’s rights. Their work would be significantly strengthened if more information on experiences could be shared more frequently among countries in Africa.

The African child Policy forum (ACPF), established in 2003 with its headquarters in Addis Ababa, has as its mission “to put the African child on the public agenda focusing on the development and implementation of effective policies and laws. The work of the forum is rights-based, inspired by universal values and informed by global experiences and knowledge”.

A journal totally dedicated to the policies of children in Africa had been identified as a potentially powerful intervention that would contribute to the realisation of the mission, stated above. as a first step a needs and feasibility assessment was made in order to be in a better position to decide if and how to move forward on such a project. the first step consisted of a general review of the current situation in Africa regarding scientific publishing and a detailed review of the way it is disseminated; in other words, a review of existing journals on children in Africa.

This study consists of two parts. First, a brief review of the current crisis in scientific publishing, including the publishing climate in Africa; and second, the result of a detailed review of almost 200 journals anticipated to publish articles on ‘children in Africa’.