News

In March 2001 Northwestern University School of Law's Bluhm Legal Clinic held a conference in Dar-es Salaam, Tanzania on the implementation of the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child in East Africa.

The Clinic, in collaboration with the American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law and Juvenile Justice Center and the Loyola University School of Law's Civitas Child Law Program, hosted the conference as part of the ABA African Law Initiative Children's Rights Project.

Four Northwestern law students working with the clinic as well as legal professionals, educators and children's rights specialists from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and the United States gathered in Tanzania to focus on practical steps for improving the implementation and enforcement of laws affecting the welfare of children.

"Conferences and projects such as this are a vital aspect of our clinical education," said conference organizer Thomas Geraghty, professor and director of the Bluhm Legal Clinic. "Not only are our clinical students gaining excellent experience, but we also have the chance to make a difference and give something back to these communities."

The 10-year-old U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most rapidly and universally accepted human rights document in the history of international law, and in East Africa the legal framework for protecting children's rights is growing. "Yet, countervailing trends there, including urbanization, political conflict and health-related issues, continue to strain sources of support for the welfare of children," said Geraghty.

Representatives from the four East African countries gave detailed reports on the status of their juvenile justice systems, highlighting areas that need improvement, and also discussed concrete methods for implementing and expanding legal aid for children.

Conference topics included:

• How Countries are Responding to the Problem of Child Maltreatment
• How Countries are Responding to the Problem of Children Involved with the Law
• Interventions on Behalf of Victims of Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation
• Interdisciplinary Issues in Juvenile Justice: Adolescent Development, Mental Health and Child Maltreatment
• Tackling the Resource Question: Developing Financial, Technological and Human Resources

The three-day conference is the second phase of the ABA African Law Initiative Children's Rights Project. The first phase of the project, which began in December 2000, brought representatives from each country to the United States for a two-week visit to Washington, D.C., and Chicago. During the visit, the ABA, Northwestern University School of Law's Bluhm Legal Clinic and Loyola University's Civitas Child Law Program presented an overview of proposed reforms in policies and practices dealing with child protection and the U.S. civil and criminal juvenile justice system.

March 3-5

WORKING CONFERENCE:
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE U.N. CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD IN EAST AFRICA
Peacock Hotel
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Saturday, March 3

8:30
Welcome

8:45

The African Law Initiative Children's Rights Project

• Summarize ABA Children's Rights Project
• Review Mission Statement
• Outline Working Conference Objectives
• Review Conference Agenda and Process
• Introductions

9:15

Where Have We Been?

• Review Goals
• Team Reports on Goals

10:15
Break

10:30
How Countries Are Responding to the Problem of Child Maltreatment?

11:15
Concurrent Breakout Sessions:

• The Police Role in Responding to Abuse and Neglect
• Children, Corporal Punishment, and Domestic Violence
• Developing Interdisciplinary Social Welfare-Legal System Linkages

12:30
Lunch

1:30
How Countries Are Responding to the Problem of Children Involved with the Law?

2:15
Concurrent Breakout Sessions:

• Improving Representation for Children in Court: The Role of Law School Clinics and the Development of Student Practice Rules
• Community-Based Responses to Youth Crime
• Developing a Model Juvenile Justice Code

3:30
Country Caucuses on Juvenile Justice
Discussion: Identifying Gaps, and Setting Priorities

5:00
Reception

Evening: Optional Work Group Sessions

Sunday, March 4

8:30
Interventions on Behalf of Victims of Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation

9:30
Concurrent Breakout Sessions:

• Developing a Model Child Maltreatment Code
• Improving Law and Public Policy for Missing and Exploited Children
• Public Education: Developing Communication and Media Strategies
• Training Lawyers for Children: Learning by Doing

10:45
Break

11:00
Interdisciplinary Issues in Juvenile Justice: Adolescent Development, Mental Health and Child Maltreatment

12:00
Lunch

1:00
Concurrent Breakout Sessions:

• Interdisciplinary Juvenile Justice Training for Duty Bearers
• Developing and Implementing Detention Standards
• Role of Juvenile Courts in Responding to Youth Crime

2:15
Break

2:30
Tackling the Resource Question: Developing Financial, Technological, and Human Resources

3:30
Country Caucuses on Child Maltreatment
Discussion, Identifying Gaps and Setting Priorities

5:30
Optional Tour of Program for Street Children

Evening Optional Work Group Sessions

Monday, March 5

9:00
Tour of Dar es Salaam Juvenile Court

10:30
Working Group Sessions on Regional/International Collaboration

• Development of Model Children's Rights Curriculum in Law Schools
• Establishing a Research Consortium
• Developing Communication Linkages
• Developing and Fostering International Linkages

12:30
Lunch

1:30
Report on Working Group Sessions

2:30
Country Caucuses: Where Do We Go From Here?
Developing an Action Plan and Timetable

4:00
Next Steps

• Phase 3 of ABA African Law Initiative
• Discussion of formation of not-for-profit corporation
• Planning for the Future

5:00 Farewell Gathering

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