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| Richard Young of the EU addressing the conference |
The conference was attended by representatives from the Southern Africa region including those from civil society, academic institutions, governments, the African Union Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, other organisations in the continent that have similar interests and children from different countries. The speakers in the conference included Richard Young, Head of Operations at the EU Mission in South Africa, stressed the importance of partnerships in development. He said the the best way to take the interests of children forward is for governments and civil society to work together. He noted that there will always be a difference of opinion between the two, but this must be accepted and find ways of collaboration as the two play a bigger role when they work together.
Other speakers include the Director of the SADC Council of NGOs, a representative of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, participants from other regions, experts on child participation and children sharing their experiences and presenting their views. The highlight of the conference was the launch of the Child Rights Network for Southern Africa whose mission is 'to provide a unified voice to advocate and campaign for better practice and policies that fulfill children's rights and to ensure that children's voices are heard by regional bodies.
At the end of the conference participants discussed and debated on a number of child rights issues of concern, which should be made a priority by state parties in Southern African and the African Union. At the end they agreed on a conference statement which would be used by CRNSA to lobby the relevant states and bodies.
