West and Central Africa's Commitment for educated, healthy and thriving adolescents and young people: « Listen, Understand, Act »

1. Preamble

We, the Ministers of Education and Health of West and Central Africa (WCA), meeting in Kintélé, on 6 April 2023,

Recalling the commitments made in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular those relating to health and well-being, education and gender equality;

Determined to implement the Agenda 2063, the Continental Strategy on Education for Africa (CESA 16-25), the Gender Equality Strategy for CESA 16-25, the African Union Roadmap on Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth, and; the African Youth Charter, Charter for African cultural renaissance, the Maputo Plan of Action 2016-2030 for the operationalization of the Continental Policy Framework on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, as well as the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action and related Nairobi commitments, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the 2021 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS, the statements from the Transforming Education Summit in New York in 2022, and the relevant policies of the Regional Economic Communities.

Reaffirming the rights and principles enshrined in the International Pact on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, and other relevant normative instruments;

Reaffirming the right of every human being to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and the right to education, and recognizing that it is essential to strengthen the capacity of adolescents and young people to make informed choices and to adopt healthy behaviours related to SRH;

Convinced that adolescents and young people are a driving force for economic and social progress in the region and have the potential to transform their communities, and that a shared vision of educated, healthy and thriving adolescents and young people contributes to their empowerment, their access to training and decent work opportunities, and more broadly, their participation in the economic and social development of the region;

Considering that in the context of this shared vision, the terms "adolescents" and "young people" refer to the girls and boys, young women and men of the continent, and that this is a heterogeneous group with various age groups characterized by, among other things, a diversity of socioeconomic levels, strong disparities between urban and rural areas, unequal access to formal education, as well as to the Internet and digital tools; that this group is also characterized by differences in learning abilities, disabilities, and special needs and that this diversity also varies by risk of exposure to STIs including HIV, early and unintended pregnancy, gender-based violence (GBV), early, child and forced marriage; and that while adolescents and young people have specific, diverse and changing needs, they have the same rights;

Noting with concern that the COVID-19 crisis has increased the vulnerability of adolescents and young people, particularly girls and the most marginalized, and has led to school dropouts, an increase in GBV, an increase in adolescent pregnancies as well as an increase in behaviours and practices detrimental to adolescents’ and young people’s health and well-being;

Recognizing that crises, conflicts, natural disasters, and other situations of fragility compromise adolescents’ and young people’s access to quality education and SRH services;

Considering that this situation calls for an urgent response to the needs of adolescents and young people in order to equip them with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will enable them to enjoy the highest possible level of education and health, and to lead healthy and fulfilling lives to realise their full potential;

Convinced that this vision for West and Central Africa implies that adolescents and young people know and understand their rights to health, education and protection, and can exercise them throughout their lives, while having the capacity to overcome gender inequalities and all forms of GBV;

Noting also that the Commitment generates new successes and capitalises on the successes and lessons learned of existing and already operational initiatives, such as the Ouagadougou Partnership and FP2030, and the Education Plus Initiative for the education and empowerment of adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa, in which several countries in West and Central Africa have adopted Champion Country status;

Conscious of the differences between countries in terms of laws, culture and values, and of the imperative to adapt terminology and programmes to their own context;

Proclaim our vision of and commitment to a West and Central Africa where all adolescents and young people possess the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values they need to transition to adulthood, maintain healthy and respectful relationships with others, and be prepared to become active, empowered, and responsible citizens within their communities, countries, and region.