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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament has convened in Freetown to address the growing crisis of child exploitation and the increasing number of children living on the streets across West Africa.
The five-day session, scheduled for April 8–12, 2026, brings together key committees to deliberate on the theme: “Parliamentary Approaches to Safeguarding Children in Street Situations and Addressing Child Exploitation in the ECOWAS Region.”
According to a statement from the Joint Committees, the discussions align with ECOWAS’ mandate to ensure member states uphold child protection commitments.
“The theme of the Joint Committee meeting is consistent with the institution’s mandate of legislative oversight to promote Member States’ effective implementation of ECOWAS child protection commitments. Member States have adopted the ECOWAS Child Policy and Strategic Plan of Action (2019–2030) and the ECOWAS Gender Strategy, both of which provide normative frameworks for preventing and responding to child vulnerability across the region.”
The lawmakers noted that worsening economic conditions, urbanisation, and humanitarian pressures are pushing more children into street situations, exposing them to severe risks.
“These children tend to face serious and compounding risks including exploitation, hazardous labour, violence, substance abuse, and limited access to essential protection services. Though legal frameworks exist in many Member States, inconsistencies in implementation, resource constraints, and weak cross-sector coordination continue to reduce their effectiveness.”
The statement also highlighted the risks associated with cross-border movement within the region.
“In a region marked by porous borders and significant intra-regional mobility, differences in legal standards, child protection procedures, data systems, and enforcement capacity can create dangerous protection gaps particularly for children who cross borders or engage in informal economic activities.”
It stressed the need for coordinated legislative action across member states.
“There is therefore a clear need for harmonised legislative approaches, enhanced parliamentary oversight, and strengthened inter-parliamentary collaboration to ensure that regional commitments translate into tangible safeguards for children of West Africa.”
The choice of host city was described as strategic, citing Sierra Leone’s recent reforms.
“The choice of Freetown as the host city of the meeting of the Joint Committee is deliberate, given Sierra Leone’s adoption of the revised Child Rights Act (2025), which represents a significant progress in aligning national legislation with international and African child protection standards.”
Participants are expected to examine Sierra Leone’s model as part of efforts to strengthen child protection systems across the region.
At the end of the meeting, lawmakers are expected to adopt key recommendations aimed at improving oversight and closing gaps in child protection frameworks.
“The Joint Committee is expected to adopt conclusions and recommendations to guide parliamentary action across ECOWAS Member States.”