Plan International - Girls' Rights Platform - Girls' rights are human rights: Positioning girls at the heart of the international agenda

In view of the important role of youth in promoting peace and non-violence and the lasting physical and psychological scars that result from involvement in violence, armed conflict and war, States Parties shall: a) Strengthen the capacity of young people and youth organisations in peace building, conflict prevention and conflict resolution through the promotion of intercultural learning, civic education, tolerance, human rights education and democracy, mutual respect for cultural, ethnic and religious diversity, the importance of dialogue and cooperation, responsibility, solidarity and international cooperation;

1. Every young person shall have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical, mental and spiritual health.

2. States Parties shall in particular: a) Ensure that youth who are detained or imprisoned or in rehabilitation centres are not subjected to torture, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment;

2. States Parties shall in particular: f) Ensure that accused and convicted young people are entitled to a lawyer.

GUIDED by the New Partnership for Africa's Development Strategic Framework for Youth Programme of 2004 that is working towards youth empowerment and development;

1. States Parties of the African Union to the present Charter shall recognize the rights, freedoms and duties enshrined in this Charter.

2. Young people shall not be compelled to belong to an association.

REAFFIRMING that the continuous cultural development of Africa rests with its youth and therefore requires their active and enlightened participation as espoused in the Cultural Charter for Africa;

1. Every State Parties shall develop a comprehensive and coherent national youth policy. e) The policy shall provide guidelines on the definition of youth adopted and specify subgroups that shall be targeted for development;

RECALLING that women's rights have been recognised and guaranteed in all international human rights instruments, notably the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and its Optional Protocol, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and all other international and regional conventions and covenants relating to the rights of women as being inalienable, interdependent and indivisible human rights;

1. Every young person shall be assured the right to express his or her ideas and opinions freely in all matters and to disseminate his or her ideas and opinions subject to the restrictions as are prescribed by laws.

1. The family, as the most basic social institution, shall enjoy the full protection and support of States Parties for its establishment and development noting that the structure and form of families varies in different social and cultural contexts.

2. Recognise the right of young people to be free from hunger and shall take individual or collective measures to: c) Provide grants of land to youth and youth organisations for socio- economic development purposes;

States Parties shall recognise the right of young people to live anywhere in the world. In this regard, they shall: a) Promote the equivalence of degrees between African educational institutions to enable the youth to study and work in State Parties;

1. States Parties acknowledge the need to eliminate discrimination against girls and young women according to obligations stipulated in various international, regional and national human rights conventions and instruments designed to protect and promote women's rights. In this regard, they shall: b) Ensure that girls and young women are able to participate actively, equally and effectively with boys at all levels of social, educational, economic, political, cultural, civic life and leadership as well as scientific endeavours;

Every young person shall have responsibilities towards his family and society, the State, and the international community. Youth shall have the duty to: o) Protect the environment and conserve nature.

1. Every young person shall have the right to gainful employment.

State Parties shall entrench the principle of the supremacy of the constitution in the political organization of the State.

State Parties shall ensure that the independence or autonomy of the said institutions is guaranteed by the constitution.

Recognising the contributions of the African Union and Regional Economic Communities to the promotion, nurturing, strengthening and consolidation of democracy and governance;

Cognizant of the historical and cultural conditions in Africa;

In this Charter, unless otherwise stated, the following expressions shall have the following meaning: “AU” means the African Union;

The objectives of this Charter are to: Promote and protect the independence of the judiciary;

State Parties shall strive to institutionalize good political governance through: Harmonious relationships in society including civil-military relations;

State Parties shall institutionalize good economic and corporate governance through, inter alia: Promoting transparency in public finance management;

State Parties shall institutionalize good economic and corporate governance through, inter alia: Providing a conducive environment for foreign capital inflows;

State Parties shall undertake to provide and enable access to basic social services to the people.

1.States Parties undertake to respect and ensure respect for the present Convention. In particular, States Parties shall: Promote self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods amongst internally displaced persons, provided that such measures shall not be used as a basis for neglecting the protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons, without prejudice to other means of assistance;

States Parties shall provide sufficient protection and assistance to internally displaced persons, and where available resources are inadequate to enable them to do so, they shall cooperate in seeking the assistance of international organizations and humanitarian agencies, civil society organizations and other relevant actors. Such organizations may offer their services to all those in need.

States Parties shall protect the rights of internally displaced persons regardless of the cause of displacement by refraining from, and preventing, the following acts, amongst others: Sexual and gender based violence in all its forms, notably rape, enforced prostitution, sexual exploitation and harmful practices, slavery, recruitment of children and their use in hostilities, forced labour and human trafficking and smuggling; and