ECOWAS Parliament Bans Street Children Amid Human Rights Concerns

During the first ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, lawmakers adopted a landmark resolution banning street children. This decision follows recommendations from a joint committee meeting held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in April.

The resolution highlights the severe human rights abuses faced by street children, who are often neglected by society. Lawmakers urged the ECOWAS Commission to develop a harmonized regional framework to guide member states in addressing the issue and ensuring coordinated responses across the sub-region.

The resolution emphasizes the need to tackle the root causes of the street children crisis and expand social protection programs for vulnerable families, particularly single-parent households affected by displacement and family breakdown. Additionally, it stresses the importance of building the capacity of national institutions to provide child protection and establish child-friendly justice systems.