The European Union and UNICEF work together in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Nigeria. The programs cover such areas as improving access to justice and supporting the provision of child protection services for 41,389 children on the move, child victims of violence, abuse, and exploitation, and children in conflict with the law, under a three-year program (2021-2024).

Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships: In line with the EU’s Strategy on the Rights of the Child, protecting children’s rights is critical to ensure children grow with the best possible opportunities and can be the owners of their future. The EU is taking concrete action today with the contribution of nearly €8 million to improve access to an adapted justice system, which can make a real difference in the lives of many vulnerable children in West Africa.

The European Union has allocated 8 million euros to work with regional national authorities, families, and children themselves within this direction. The EU and UNICEF note that Many children on the move do not have sufficient awareness of their rights and existing support programs.

In October 2021, an estimated 11 million children were on the move in West and Central Africa, including 7.6 million internally displaced, 1.2 million refugees, and 2.2 million international migrant children.

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Source: European Commission, International Partnerships
Picture: UNICEF