Maseru, April.22 – As the world commemorates Earth Day on April 22, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) Working Group on Children’s Rights and Climate Change has called on member states to prioritise children in climate and environmental action.
The Committee made the call on Wednesday during its ongoing 47th Ordinary Session in Maseru, reaffirming that environmental protection is inseparable and non-negotiable in the realisation of children’s rights in Africa.
ACERWC said member states must guarantee universal, equitable and climate-resilient access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services for every child, including those in schools, health facilities, informal settlements, refugee settings, rural and climate-affected areas.
It further stressed that governments must prevent environmental pollution and ecosystem degradation that undermine children’s rights to life, health and development, including safeguarding water sources from contamination.
The Committee also urged states to address inequality by prioritising children in vulnerable situations such as girls, children with disabilities, displaced children and those living in poverty or climate hotspot regions, ensuring non-discrimination in all climate and WASH interventions.
In addition, ACERWC called for the empowerment of children as agents of change through meaningful participation, engagement and access to child-friendly information in climate, environmental and WASH decision-making processes.
“States should invest, measure and account by allocating adequate, child-sensitive financing to climate-resilient WASH, strengthening data and monitoring systems and using clear, child-centred indicators to track progress and ensure accountability,” the Committee said.
The Committee emphasised that children are not merely beneficiaries of environmental action, but rights holders whose voices, leadership and participation are essential in shaping a just and sustainable future.
