The ECOWAS Parliament has commenced a high-level Joint Committee Meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone, aimed at addressing the growing crisis of children living in street situations and combating child exploitation across the region.
The meeting with the theme “Parliamentary Approaches to Safeguarding Children in Street Situations and Addressing Child Exploitation in the ECOWAS Region,” underscores the Parliament’s commitment to strengthening legislative oversight and ensuring Member States effectively implement regional child protection frameworks.
This was disclosed in a statement by the ECOWAS Parliament.
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The five-day meeting, holding from April 8 to 12, brings together key parliamentary committees, including Social Affairs; Gender, Women Empowerment and Persons with Disabilities; Legal Affairs and Human Rights; Trade, Customs and Free Movement; and Political Affairs, Peace, Security and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
According to the Parliament, despite the adoption of critical instruments such as the ECOWAS Child Policy and Strategic Plan of Action (2019–2030) and the ECOWAS Gender Strategy, the region continues to face rising challenges.
Economic hardship, rapid urbanisation, displacement, and recurring humanitarian crises have contributed to an increasing number of vulnerable children living or working on the streets.
The statement also noted that these children are often exposed to severe risks, including exploitation, hazardous labour, violence, substance abuse, and limited access to education and social services.
While many Member States have established legal protections, weak implementation, limited resources, and poor coordination across sectors continue to undermine their effectiveness.
It also stressed that the choice of Freetown as host city is seen as strategic.
Sierra Leone recently enacted a revised Child Rights Act (2025), aligning national legislation more closely with international and African child protection standards.
The country’s ongoing reforms in social welfare systems, institutional coordination, and community-based protection efforts position it as a model for peer learning within the region.
Throughout the meeting, participants are expected to engage in a comprehensive programme that includes regional policy briefings, a national case study presentation by Sierra Leonean authorities, a stakeholder public hearing, and field visits to key locations in Freetown.
Field visits
These include the historic Cotton Tree area and support centres such as the Don Bosco Fambul facility, where services are provided to vulnerable children.
The field visits are expected to provide lawmakers with firsthand insights into the realities faced by children in street situations, while adhering strictly to international child safeguarding standards, including consent, confidentiality, and dignity.
The statement added that at the conclusion of the meeting, the Joint Committee is expected to adopt a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening legislative frameworks, improving rehabilitation and reintegration systems, enhancing parliamentary oversight, and promoting harmonised regional responses.
These outcomes will be presented at the next Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament before being forwarded to the Council of Ministers for further action.
The meeting marks a significant step toward building a coordinated regional response to safeguard vulnerable children and ensure that policy commitments translate into meaningful protections across West Africa.
Participants at the meeting include representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, officials from the Government of Sierra Leone, development partners, civil society organisations, and child protection experts.