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Katie Taft
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The African Child Policy Forum
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The African Child Policy Forum Announces Conference Speakers

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA March 31, 2006 –The African Child Policy Forum announces today its list of illustrious speakers for the Second International Policy Conference on the African Child: Violence Against Girls in Africa.
                                                                                                    
“I am excited and honoured that The African Child Policy Forum will host such an important group of international speakers who will add incredible insight into the issue of violence against girls in Africa and push the agenda forward,” says Dr. Assefa Bequele, Executive Director of the African Child Policy Forum.

The conference will be in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the United Nations Conference Centre on May 11 and 12.  Prior to the conference, the Forum along with Prof. Paulo Pinheiro, the UN Secretary-General’s Independent Expert on Violence Against Children, will announce new findings about violence against girls in Africa at formal press event on May 10.This major two-day conference will address the complex problem of violence against girls in Africa and feature a powerful and diverse group of speakers from the African Union, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Pan-African policy makers, women’s-rights and child-rights organisations, and child survivors of violence.

The conference will be addressed by H. E. Girma W / Giorgis, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H. E. Joaquim Chissano, Former Head of State of Mozambique and Madame Chantal Compaoré, First Lady Burkina Faso.

Among the prominent speakers at the conference will be:

• Dr. Rima Salah, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director
• Prof. Paulo Pinheiro, the Independent Expert UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence Against Children
• Dr. Yakin Erturk, UN Special Rapparteur on Violence Against Women
• Prof. Jaap Doek, Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
• Ms. Bience Gawanas, African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs
• Dr. Salim A. Salim, Chairman, International Board of Trustees, The African Child Policy Forum
• Mr. Jean Baptiste Zoungrana, Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
• Mr. Jim Emerson, Plan International Chief Operations Officer

A full list of speakers includes:
From the United Nations

• Dr. Juan Miguel Petit, UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography
• Ms. Margie de Monchy, UNICEF Child Protection Advisor, Kenya
• Dr. Amaya Gillespie, Director for Secretariat of the UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence Against Children
• Ms. Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, UNIFEM Regional Programme Director for East and Horn of Africa
• Mr. Per Engebak, UNICEF Regional Director, Eastern and Southern Africa
• Ms. Souad Abdennebi-Abderrahim, Senior Regional Advisor, Promotion of Woman’s Human and Legal Rights
• Mr. Bunmi Makinwa, UNAIDS Country Representative and Focal Point for African Regional Organisations
• Mr. Peter Newell, Coordinator of the Global Initiative to End Corporal Punishment of Children
• Madame Etta Tadesse, UNFPA Representative to the AU and UNECA

From Civil Society/ Non-Governmental Organisations

• Mr. Sergio Kristensen, Save the Children Denmark Country Representative, Ethiopia
• Mr. David Muthungu, Plan International Regional Director, Southern and Eastern Africa
• Ms. Christine Cornwell, Senior Advisor/Consultant Public Administration and Development Cooperation
• Prof Dharam Ghai, Executive Director, UNRISD (1987-1997)
• Mr. Gary Barker, Executive Director, Instituto Promundo, Brazil
• Dr. Bogalech Gebre, Executive Director for Kembatta Women’s Self Help Centre of Ethiopia
• Mr Guy Massart, Plan International Regional Research and Evaluation Advisor , West Africa Regional Office
• Mr. Ravi Karkara, Save the Children Sweden Regional Programme Manager, Nepal
• Ms. Mercy Musomi, Girl Child Network National Coordinator, Kenya
• Mrs. Stella Oyo-Odongo, National Coordinator of the Uganda Child Rights National Network
• Ms. Berhane Ras-Work, Executive Director of the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices affecting Women’s and Children’s Health
• Prof. Anthony Simpson, Researcher - Social Anthropology Department, Manchester University, UK

The objective of the conference is to contribute to the ongoing international effort to effect attitudinal and policy changes toward violence against girls, by providing a platform for like-minded organisations to work together and initiate an Africa-wide movement against all forms of violence. The conference will ensure that African views and positions, especially regarding girls, are reflected in actions and resolutions taken by the African Union and the United Nations. The conference is largely funded by Plan International and is being organised in partnership with the AU, UNECA, UNICEF, UNFPA, and Save the Children Group.

For the most recent schedule of presenters and topics, please visit: http://www.africanchildforum.org/events_coming.html.

ABOUT THE AFRICAN CHILD POLICY FORUM
The African Child Policy Forum is an independent, pan-African advocacy organisation working for the realisation of children’s rights. Its mission is to contribute towards the development and implementation of effective laws and policies to put African children on the public agenda. To this end, it will provide support where the political will exists and exert pressure where it is absent. The rights and welfare of children are at the heart of our work, in our programmes and our projects. Programmes such as The Children’s Legal Protection Centre, which provides protection and free legal support to abused children, children in high risk situations and those in conflict with the law, is just one example of the many programmes the Forum provides.

The Forum has no political or religious affiliations. While the Forum is cognizant of world thinking and development, it has an African-driven and children-driven agenda. The organisation is on the front lines as it deals with the profound issues affecting the children of Africa. The Forum’s Executive Director is Assefa Bequele, Ph.D., former Special Representative of International Labour Organisation of the United Nations and a member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

For more information: www.africanchildform.org
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