6^th to 8^th December 2006. Banjul, The Gambia. Organised by SOS Kinderdorf International West/North Africa Regional Office and IHRDA.

This sensitisation workshop brought together a forum for 15 to 20 active members of International SOS Children’s Village working towards preventing, identifying and reporting on child abuse, and towards children’s development. Participation of children themselves would be encouraged in future workshops.

Participants shared their experiences on promoting and making use of the international and regional instruments protecting the rights of the child in Africa. They also discussed possibilities for interacting with the African Committee of Experts and reporting on their experiences and success stories regarding child protection and development.

The three day workshop was organised as part of the joint IHRDA-SOS Children’s Village project for the implementation of the International SOS Children’s Village Child Protection Policy

Topics covered

• Mapping children’s rights and protection
• SOS Child Protection Policy
• What are human rights? Understanding human rights terminology
• Protection of children’s rights at the international level (CRC)
• Protection of children’s rights at the regional level (ACRWC + ACHPR)
• Relationship between international law and municipal law
• Gambian law on child protection
• Challenges in child protection in The Gambia – Perspective from Children’s Court; Social Welfare Department; Civil Society (Child Protection Alliance)
• Child protection issues at SOS
• Documenting and reporting allegations of children’s rights violations
• Economic, social and cultural rights of children
• How can SOS be more engaged with African human rights mechanisms, particularly the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
• Types of questions to use during documenting and reporting allegations of children’s rights violations
• Action Planning