Organised by the Children’s Rights Project of the Dullah Omar Institute at UWC, the seminar has convened key actors from governments, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and regional bodies working at the intersection of child rights, environmental law, and climate justice.

The seminar comes against the backdrop of an escalating climate emergency that poses serious threats to children across the SADC region. According to a recent continental study by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), children are already suffering the consequences of climate-induced disasters such as displacement, hunger, school dropouts, child labour, and early marriage, as floods, droughts, and storms ravage communities.

“In SADC, the climate crisis is not a distant threat. It is here, it is now, and it is profoundly impacting our children’s health, education, protection, and development,” a concept note shared ahead of the seminar underscores.

Countries such as Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar have seen entire school systems disrupted, with over 1.8 million children in Zimbabwe alone missing school due to the 2024 drought.

The seminar seeks to:

• Assess the integration of children’s rights into national and regional climate policies;

• Examine the specific threats children face in the climate crisis;

• Secure commitments from governments to adopt child-sensitive climate laws; and

• Develop concrete recommendations for SADC-wide reforms.

Sessions will be guided by continental legal instruments such as the African Union Climate Strategy (2022–2032) and the draft SADC Protocol on Children, which calls for states to adopt policies that safeguard children’s access to clean air, food, education, and healthcare amidst climate disruptions.

The three-day programme is divided into two streams. The first two days include joint sessions for all delegates, focusing on:

• The state of climate change and child rights in Africa

• Governance, humanitarian response, and climate migration

• Just energy transitions and climate financing

• Integration of children’s rights in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)

Key speakers include:

• Dr. Musavengana Chibwana, Senior Technical Advisor with the African Union Commission

• Prof. Ademola Jegede, University of Venda

• Prof. Maria Assim, who teaches International Human Rights Law at UWC

• Representatives from the Centre for Environmental Rights, Save the Children, and ACERWC

The third day will focus exclusively on civil society strategic engagement and advocacy tools. Sessions will cover:

• Climate litigation

• Framing national advocacy strategies

• Simplifying climate science for grassroots activism

Participants include delegates from SADC Member States, such as:

• Researchers under the SADC Parliamentary Forum’s Sweden-funded SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project

• National climate and child welfare focal points

• Representatives from the African Union and ACERWC

• Legal and academic experts on climate justice

• Regional and South African civil society organisations

Lawmakers from the SADC Parliamentary Forum, which has been instrumental in mainstreaming children’s rights across regional legislative frameworks, are also participating.

Despite the existence of over 27 regional protocols, the SADC climate agenda remains largely silent on children. Organisers argue this gap must urgently be addressed to recognise children as rights-holders and agents of change.

Expected outcomes include:

• Strengthened cross-border coordination on child-responsive climate action

• Enhanced advocacy tools for civil society organisations

• A set of actionable regional recommendations for policy harmonisation

Some sessions will explore climate financing innovations, such as carbon credits and dedicated funds to address risks faced by children. Delegates will also deliberate on legal frameworks to curb harmful fossil fuel practices while promoting green energy transitions that protect the most vulnerable.

Ultimately, this seminar aims to ensure that children’s voices, vulnerabilities, and aspirations are central to how SADC responds to the climate emergency.

Experts, including Dr. Chibwana, have warned that the region is already facing more intense cyclones, heatwaves, droughts, and floods. This gathering seeks to deliver a unified call to action—a climate-safe, equitable future for every child in Southern Africa.

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