Jane Salihu
The ECOWAS Parliament has convened a five-day Joint Committee Meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone, bringing together lawmakers, government officials, and child protection stakeholders to develop stronger regional responses to the growing challenge of children living in street situations across West Africa.
The meeting, which runs from April 8 to 12, is organised under the theme “Parliamentary Approaches to Safeguarding Children in Street Situations and Addressing Child Exploitation in the ECOWAS Region.” It brings together several parliamentary committees including Social Affairs, Gender, Women Empowerment and Persons with Disabilities; Legal Affairs and Human Rights; Trade, Customs and Free Movement; as well as Political Affairs, Peace, Security and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
According to the regional parliament, the initiative reflects its legislative oversight role in ensuring that member states effectively implement regional child protection commitments, particularly those contained in the ECOWAS Child Policy and Strategic Plan of Action (2019–2030) and the ECOWAS Gender Strategy.
Across West Africa, economic hardship, rapid urbanisation, displacement, and recurring humanitarian crises have contributed to a growing number of children living or working on the streets. Many of these children face heightened risks of exploitation, trafficking, hazardous labour, substance abuse, violence, and limited access to education and protection services.
Girls in particular remain highly vulnerable, often confronting gender-based violence and restricted access to healthcare and schooling. Weak enforcement of existing laws, combined with inconsistencies in legal frameworks across borders, has further deepened protection gaps within the region.
Participants at the meeting are expected to deliberate on ways to harmonise legislative responses and strengthen parliamentary oversight to ensure that regional commitments translate into effective protections for vulnerable children.
The choice of Freetown as the host city is considered significant, following Sierra Leone’s adoption of the revised Child Rights Act (2025), a reform widely regarded as aligning the country’s legislation with international and African child protection standards. Sierra Leone’s ongoing efforts in institutional coordination, social welfare delivery, and community-based protection programmes will serve as a reference point for peer learning among member states.
During the meeting, lawmakers will participate in a series of activities including regional policy briefings by the ECOWAS Commission, presentations by Sierra Leonean ministries on national child protection strategies, and a public stakeholder hearing involving civil society groups, faith-based organisations, child protection practitioners, and development partners.
As part of the programme, Members of Parliament will also undertake field visits under the “Parliament on the Move” initiative to selected locations in Freetown where children in street situations congregate or receive assistance, including the Cotton Tree area and facilities run by Don Bosco Fambul. Officials say all field engagements will strictly follow national safeguarding regulations and international child protection standards.
At the end of the deliberations, the Joint Committee is expected to adopt recommendations aimed at strengthening national and regional legislative frameworks, improving shelter and rehabilitation systems, supporting education reintegration and family tracing programmes, and enhancing data collection and monitoring mechanisms.
The outcomes of the meeting will be presented at the next Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament for adoption and onward transmission to the regional Council of Ministers, with the goal of advancing a more coordinated and effective approach to protecting vulnerable children across West Africa.
Participants at the meeting include Members of Parliament, representatives of the ECOWAS Commission, officials of the Government of Sierra Leone, development partners, civil society organisations, accredited child protection networks, and subject-matter experts.
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